The President of the Veterinary Council of Ireland, Joseph Walsh, has resigned as president of the council, and as a member of the council.

Walsh was elected president in January this year.

In a statement, Walsh said: "I have decided to resign as president and as a member of the council.

"I would like to express my thanks to all members of the council and to the executive for the sterling work they do in support of standards of veterinary practice and animal welfare," he added.

The VCI said it accepted Walsh’s resignation at a meeting on August 26, and it thanked him for his "dedicated service and valued contribution to the Veterinary Council of Ireland, to the veterinary profession, and to the general public over the last four and half years, including his leadership as president".

The council said it will consider the process for electing a new president at its meeting in September.

Veterinary Council of Ireland

The Veterinary Council of Ireland is the statutory body for regulating the veterinary profession in Ireland.

In other recent news related to the council, it has invited veterinary practitioners, veterinary nurses, vet practice staff, family members of veterinary professionals, animal owners and farmers to share their experiences and views in a national consultation on out-of-hours emergency veterinary care.

The organisation said: "Whether you have sought emergency veterinary care for an animal, helped to provide it, or experienced its impact on family life, your perspective matters."

The consultation takes approximately 25 minutes to complete, and all responses will be anonymous.

The consultation closes on September 11, 2026.

The VCI has said that all feedback received will be carefully reviewed and analysed by the council.

A report summarising the consultation findings will be published later in 2026.

Veterinary nursing

The council recently faced criticism concerning challenges in the veterinary nursing sector around staff retention and salaries.

The VCI, however, said at the time that it "does not set salaries, determine employment conditions or negotiate industrial relations matters".

"Those are matters for employers, employees and their representative organisations," the VCI said.