The Government should give serious consideration to locating a new Veterinary School in the University of Limerick according to Tipperary TD Michael Lowry – the University has made an application to host the new School. The TD cited the huge numbers of cattle in Munster in support of the case and the close proximity to the World Class Horse Hospital in Fethard in support of the application.
The Taoiseach responded that there are currently a number of options open to Government on where a new Veterinary School will be located, which include expanding the only existing facility at UCD, creating a new facility, or doing both. The process is currently being managed by the Higher Education Authority(HEA) and all applications are currently being reviewed. The HEA is to make a proposal to the Minister for Higher and Further Education Simon Harris by the end of March.
Deputy Lowry cited the lack of qualified vets as a risk to animal welfare and agribusiness.
At present only 1 in 4 registered Vets are educated in UCD. Over 500 Irish Students currently study veterinary in colleges throughout Eastern Europe. UL has a number of existing programmes of research in the areas of human medicine, equine science, dairy, biomedical and antimicrobial resistance, which would complement veterinary teaching and research according to Deputy Lowry.
