The establishment of two novel colleges specialising in veterinary medicine is slated at South East Technological University and Atlantic Technological University. This initiative is set to nearly double the influx of graduates into the veterinary profession in Ireland annually. Consequently, less Irish students will seek qualifications overseas and potentially there may be a decrease in CAO points, which are presently among the highest nationwide, required for studying veterinary science.
The official disclosure is expected to be made by Taoiseach Simon Harris, Minister for Higher and Further Education, Patrick O’Donovan and Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, at this afternoon’s National Ploughing Championships in Co Laois. According to credible sources, this move will create nearly 80 new opportunities for higher education in veterinary medicine.
At South East Technological University (SETU), based primarily in Waterford and Carlow, course offerings are likely to be in cooperation with Kildalton Agricultural College in Piltown, Co Kilkenny. Meanwhile, at Atlantic Technological University, the expectation is that courses will be available at its campuses in Letterkenny, Donegal as well as Mountbellew, Co Galway which is home to its agricultural college.
There is speculation that new places will be open from next September at the Atlantic Technological University, but the availability of the full range of places across both universities might take a few years. Infrastructure development or expansion will require capital funds approximately €50 million.
Currently, the island of Ireland’s only veterinary science degree is provided by University College Dublin (UCD). This globally respected course has an exceedingly high demand with entry requiring 580 points or more to be accessed annually. UCD typically adds 80 graduates to Ireland’s veterinary ranks yearly.
Approximately 120 young Irish nationals who do not meet the required points go overseas each year to study veterinary medicine at universities in the UK and cities like Warsaw, Poland and Budapest, Hungary.
In 2022, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) initiated a process to explore opportunities for capacity building in veterinary and other fields within the higher education infrastructure. This was triggered by the acute shortage of veterinary professionals for pets and farm animals, prompting a prolonged hiring process by some veterinary clinics.
Several institutions of learning, including the University of Limerick (UL), University College Cork (UCC) and University of Galway had been lobbying to introduce veterinary faculties on their grounds. The judgement to situate both of these new colleges in up-and-coming technological universities is anticipated to be interpreted as a display of faith by those in position of authority within this novel sector.