A total of 298 new vets and 129 veterinary nurses joined the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) register last year.

The VCI, the statutory body responsible for the regulation and management of the practise of veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing in the state, has said that register numbers are growing incrementally each year.

In 2023, 321 new vets joined the VCI register, along with 126 veterinary nurses.

93 of the new vets were based in Leinster; 65 in Munster; 33 in Connacht and 16 in Ulster.

Vets

By the end of 2024, the VCI said that there were a total of 3,689 vets on its register; 1,816 (49.3%) were male and 1,873 (50.7%) were female.

There were 62 registered veterinary specialists in the country, accounting for 2% of the overall total.

In 2023, there were 3,534 vets registered in Ireland; 51% were men and 49% were women.

The VCI said that there were 1,290 veterinary nurses registered in total last year, with 97% of those being female.

There were a total of 770 veterinary practice premises on the VCI register in 2024, with 426 of those veterinary clinics and 138 veterinary hospitals.

Review

As a regulatory body, the VCI is now planning to harness the registration data it holds and look to analyse this information, "for the public good and with a view to offering policy recommendations for policy makers into the future".

The council established a Workforce Review Working Group to consider the register data collected and to consider and propose recommendations to support the delivery of veterinary services into the future.

The review analysis aims to identify and quantify key trends and factors related to the recruitment and retention of veterinary professionals in Ireland, and to assess the demand for veterinary services currently and into the future.

"Veterinary practitioners and veterinary nurses play a critically important role in society.

"They care for the health and welfare of companion animals, livestock, performance animals, laboratory animals and wildlife.

"They also play a vital role in biosecurity, protecting public health, assuring food safety, and supporting sustainability," a VCI spokesperson told Agriland.

The VCI added that the workforce review will be "finalised for launch in early course".

Courses

In 2024, 86 vets joining the VCI register for the first time were awarded their degree from University College Dublin (UCD).

In 2024, the remaining countries where the undergraduate veterinary medicine qualifications were awarded include: UK, Europe, Switzerland, West Indies, India, Iran, Egypt, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Russia, South Africa.

The VCI noted that these figures reflect vets joining its register for the first time, however they may not necessarily be newly qualified or new graduates.

In February, Atlantic Technological University (ATU) confirmed that its new bachelor of veterinary medicine and surgery (BVMS) course will not begin until September 2026.

Last year, the university said it hoped to commence the course in September 2025.

Delivery of the programme is subject to validation and professional accreditation requirements. The BVMS course cannot be listed in CAO prior to validation.

The university believe that the new programme will initially accommodate 30 students, and will primarily be based at ATU Donegal, in conjunction with Mountbellew Agricultural College, Co. Galway.

The final composition and distribution of places and entry requirements for the programme will be communicated to all stakeholders following completion of the validation process.

Last September, the government confirmed that South East Technological University (SETU) would also deliver a new veterinary medicine programme.

SETU always planned for their course to be made available for the CAO listing for 2025/2026, with an annual intake of 40 students.