The new veterinary medicine course at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) will be officially launched today (Monday, November 24).

The course will be launched by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless.

Minister Lawless' department said that the launch of the course marks a milestone in the rollout of the government's Veterinary Places Activation Programme (VPAP) and Ireland's expansion of veterinary education.

The launch event, hosted by ATU, is set to be attended by senior university leadership, faculty, and regional stakeholders, including representatives from local and cross-border education bodies, veterinary practices, county councils, senators, and TDs.

Minister Lawless acknowledged those leading the initiative within ATU, including Dr. Orla Flynn, president of ATU; Prof. Patrick Pollock, Head of Department of Veterinary & Surgery; and Dr. Joanne Gallagher, Dean of the Faculty of Science & Health, as well as the wider senior management team and academic staff across health sciences.

The minister said: "The establishment of the ATU Veterinary Medicine Programme marks a transformative milestone in our national strategy to expand veterinary education.

"It offers students across the west and northwest the chance to pursue a world-class veterinary qualification closer to home, helping us keep talent in the region, create new opportunities, and build a strong pipeline of skilled professionals who will underpin our education, public health, and agri-food sectors for years to come," Minister Lawless added.

He said that ATU will deliver "an innovative, high-quality model of veterinary education that serves learners, strengthens communities, and drives regional growth while anchoring expertise and opportunity in the west and northwest for decades to come".

Also commenting on the launch of the course, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said: "This programme is hugely significant for the agri-food sector.

"ATU's new programme will help meet this national need while providing students with new opportunities and strengthening regional development in the west and northwest," Minister Heydon added.

Dr. Alan Wall, the CEO of the Higher Education Authority, said: "Today's launch reflects rapid and collaborative progress across the higher education system to expand capacity in key healthcare and veterinary fields.

"ATU's development of new veterinary provision demonstrates a commitment to the 'One Health' approach, recognising the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health, and reinforces Ireland's long-term strategy for education, research and workforce sustainability," Dr. Wall added.

ATU president Dr. Orla Flynn said: "ATU’s new veterinary school will not only expand access to veterinary education but also ensure that rural communities have the skilled professionals they need.

The new veterinary programme forms part of the Veterinary Places Activation Programme (VPAP), which will support the creation of 80 new veterinary student places annually from 2026, through new schools at both ATU and the South East Technological University (SETU), the Department of Further and Higher Education said.

ATU will deliver a full clinical facility on campus, while SETU will implement a distributed training model through a regional clinical network. Both institutions are set to take in their first 40 students each in September 2026.

ATU was established in April 2022 through the merger of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) and Institute of Technology Sligo.

ATU has over 30,000 students and more than 600 programmes across nine campuses.