Member of the Seanad Éireann, Senator Victor Boyhan, has called on the government to prioritise its plans to establish a second veterinary medicine faculty in Ireland.
The senator also called for capital funding for the new faculty to be agreed by government.
Senator Boyhan, a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine told Agriland that there was much speculation that a new veterinary faculty would be established at the University of Limerick (UL).
In 2023, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, put out a call for expressions of interest from HEI’s to expand capacity in veterinary medicine.
The senator added that UL was shortlisted to engage with the HEA on its proposal to host Ireland’s second veterinary school.
The aim of this was to address the profession’s recruitment and retention crisis, which is now causing major concerns to the agriculture sector.
Senator Boyhan said: “Failure to provide adequate training will negatively impact on animal welfare and agri-business, and to establish an additional faculty will be costly and take time, so decision needs to be made now.
“The HEA also found that there is potential to expand the current offering in veterinary medicine at University College Dublin (UCD), so this option cannot be ruled out.”
The senator added that Taoiseach Simon Harris acknowledged that there is a “substantial” cost associated with having another facility.
The Taoiseach indicated that the Department of Public Expenditure would consider investment for a new veterinary school in the context of the National Development Plan review, according to Senator Boyhan.
Mr. Boyhan has called on the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Charlie McConalogue, to be “more determined” to pursue a second veterinary faculty or expand the faculty at UCD.
Veterinary school
Recently, UL signed a memorandum of understanding with a network of independently-owned veterinary practices.
The agreement is part of UL’s efforts to launch a new programme, and the university is one of those being considered by the government to deliver a new veterinary course.
The government is yet to announce which third-level institution or institutions will host a new vet school, however, the university is moving ahead with its plans.
UL signed an agreement with Salesian Agricultural College to co-operate in the delivery of a new undergraduate course.