Proposals for new veterinary schools set to go to Cabinet

The Higher Education Authority has given the Government options to significantly increase the number of people training in the health service and veterinary medicine

Ireland has a shortage of vets.

Proposals for new veterinary schools and additional healthcare capacity to help address shortages of key professionals are due to go to Cabinet this month.

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris confirmed on Thursday the proposals for the new schools will go to Cabinet in June. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has now given the Government options to significantly increase the number of people training in the health service and veterinary medicine.

Last year, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) warned patient and doctor health is now in danger because of the gap between the number of doctors needed and the numbers available.

As previously reported by the Irish Examiner, Ireland also has a shortage of vets. The country has quietly relied on attracting large numbers of vets trained abroad to address a shortfall known about and acknowledged for more than a decade.

There is currently just one vet school in Ireland, at University College Dublin (UCD), offering roughly 80 places annually to students through the CAO. Every year without fail, it is one of the most sought-after university courses in the country. Last year, it attracted first-round CAO cut-off points of 601. 

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Many Irish students rely on training in Eastern Europe as a result.  Earlier this year, the University of Limerick was tipped to become the site of the new vet school.

On Thursday, Mr Harris said a number of institutions put forward proposals, including for the expansion of the existing veterinary medicine programme, but also for the development of entirely new programmes in a number of areas across the country.

“The HEA has advised that a number of proposals for additional veterinary places are worthy of further consideration and examination. The requirements identified to bring these proposals on stream are significant, including the development of major new capital projects and the provision of ongoing revenue support.” 

“As I intend updating Government on this process shortly, I cannot confirm the exact numbers or locations. However, I can confirm following Government consideration, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and I will outline how we intend to move forward with the opportunities, identified by the HEA, for new programme provision alongside options for current programme expansion.”