A report by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on a proposed new veterinary school is to be presented to government “very shortly”, according to the Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris.
The authority is “close to concluding” its review to identify how additional places for veterinary medicine students can be created in Ireland.
The options include expanding the current course at University College Dublin (UCD), creating a new facility, or doing both.
The HEA is currently reviewing applications from UCD; the University of Limerick (UL); Munster Technological University (MTU); Atlantic Technological University (ATU); and South East Technological University (SETU).
An expert advisory panel, including representatives from the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), has been appointed to review new programme proposals.
Vet school
Independent TD Violet-Anne Wynne recently raised the issue in the Dáil where she called for a new vet school to be located in the University of Limerick.
“Only one in four vets who are registered in Ireland were educated in the veterinary school in UCD.
“The other 75% were educated abroad. As I speak, approximately 500 Irish students are studying to become vets in eastern Europe because they cannot get a place here,” the Clare TD said.
Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh added that “an all-island approach” needs to be taken to the issue.
“We need an institution that has the capacity to deliver what we need in terms of food security and large animals, and to meet demand across the western seaboard and elsewhere,” she said.
Report
Minister Simon Harris said that once he has received the HEA recommendations, which he expects “very shortly”, he will examine the options with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.
“The process is independent. There has been a lot interest and competition from different parts of the country to host the new veterinary school,” he said.
“There is now an acceptance that we need to expand in this space. It is utterly wrong that so many Irish students are going abroad, often to parts of eastern Europe, to study veterinary medicine. We can do more and better here.
“I am also conscious of regional issues in the context of this matter. I am conscious of the importance of having enough vets to work with larger animals, farm animals and the agricultural sector,” Minister Harris said.