More than two-thirds of newly registered vets qualified outside of Ireland

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris previously said it is "utterly wrong" for so many students to have to go abroad. Picture: Brian Lawless

More than two-thirds of newly registered vets in 2022 qualified outside of Ireland, as demand has “outstripped supply”, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

Just 80 vets who registered with the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) last year received their qualification from University College Dublin (UCD), while the remaining 222 graduated from accredited schools abroad.

Currently, UCD is the only third-level institution to offer veterinary training, with demand far outstripping places every year due to CAO points ranging from 601-625 for the 82 places.

The Government is now looking to expand the number of places available through various possible scenarios presented by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

UCD has between 135 and 140 places each year, the committee heard, 82 of which are obtained through the CAO system. The remainder is for international students and graduates.

Approximately 48 spots are taken by North Americans each year, which provides significant income, while also contributing to the course’s worldwide reputation, the committee heard.

Department of Higher Education assistant secretary general Keith Moynes told the committee between 860 — 1000 apply for one of the 82 CAO spots each year, resulting in a “few hundred” studying abroad.

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris previously said it is "utterly wrong" for so many students to have to go abroad.

The HEA sought to identify opportunities to create additional capacity through programme creation or expansion in academic years 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Possible solutions 

Five expressions of interest were received by the HEA, four of which related to the creation of new programmes, in addition to UCD’s proposed programme expansion.

The HEA said a number of these viable submissions not only show the possibility for increased capacity but also bring opportunities to bring regional balance to the provision of veterinary medicine education.

HEA chief executive Alan Wall echoed the consideration of regional balance and said the HEA presented a number of scenarios for the department to consider, saying it is a “once in a generation” opportunity in relation to the provision of veterinary and neglected to isolate one of the Universities.

The University of Limerick is tipped to be the base of the new school, while UCD has also made a submission for expansion of its course.

It is understood that UCC, MTU, and the Atlantic Technological University in the north-west are also being considered.

Mr Moynes said regional balance is “very important” to the department, adding that it would be a “strong consideration” in the selection.

He added that the delivery of the additional places by way of a new school and/or the expansion of UCD’s programme in the 2023/24 academic year would be too ambitious. However, he did not rule out delivery by the following year.

VCI chief executive Niamh Muldoon described the CAO as a “very unforgiving system” and noted that the number of students who do study abroad but do not return to practice in Ireland is not captured.

Of the 222 vets that graduated abroad, the most popular was Budapest University of Veterinary Science, which accounted for 35 newly registered vets last year, and Warsaw University of Life Sciences which accounted for 14 registered vets.

Ms Muldoon said despite the number of vets on the register at an all-time high at 3,300 and strong demand for employment, anecdotally there are recruitment and retention issues that are particularly apparent in rural large animal practices in Ireland, which additional places could alleviate.

Unlike several committee members who lobbied for their own respective counties, Ms Muldoon said the VCI is “wholly objective” in terms of the potential location, focusing solely on standards.