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PLANS TO CREATE two new veterinary schools at two universities have been announced by the Government today.
The new schools will be located at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in the west of the country, and South East Technological University (SETU).
Taoiseach Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education Patrick O’Donovan and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue announced the plans today, saying that funding from the Department of Further and Higher Education will be allocated to the projects.
The funding will support the development of “state-of-the-art facilities, faculty recruitment, and the creation of innovative educational programs tailored to meet the unique needs of Ireland’s veterinary landscape”, a government statement said.
The Taoiseach, a former minister for higher education, said the two schools would address the need for more vets in Ireland and also give students the opportunity to to study here rather than moving abroad.
He said the announcement “marks a significant milestone and comes after a period of extensive engagement” between government departments.
Harris also said the announcement, which was made at the Ploughing Championships in Co Laois today, was good news for farmers.
Minister O’Donovan said the “major investment” represents “a monumental step forward for Irish education and Irish agriculture”.
“With the formation of these new schools we are offering more students who wish to study veterinary medicine the opportunity to learn and thrive in their academic careers here at home, to pursue their studies within an Irish context, and contribute directly to our agricultural, agri-food, and public health sectors.”
Minister McConalogue said the establishment of the schools would also help to promote “a better regional spread of educational and professional opportunities”.
“Both new schools will be located in strategic areas in the country which will foster collaboration with regional agricultural industries, ensuring that the benefits of this initiative extend across the country.”
Higher Education Authority CEO Dr Alan Wall said:
“Ireland currently has one of the leading veterinary schools in the world, and the excellent education and research on offer at UCD’s School of Veterinary Medicine will be complimented by new programmes at ATU and SETU offering a diversity of approach to the delivery of Veterinary Medicine education.”
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Great news not only for farming animals but also for all other small animals as well.
@Colm Molloy: most vets hate working farming animals, because of the out of hours work.
@P. V. Aglue: as a farmer myself, being a farm vet is quite possibly the worst job I could imagine. It’s a pure slog. The people that do it are saints and we would be lost without them.
What about 2 medicine schools as well .
And stop importing doctors from sudan ,India, Pakistan and Nigeria ,
@sakk sa: the ‘whataboutery’ post … cutting edge & original
@Buster Lawless: What’s wrong with sakk sa’s comment, why not have more courses to teach and retain Irish students ?
@Toyo Ke: yes,this article is about 2 new VETERINARY schools….if the sink is leaking, regardless how many carpenters or electricians are available,you’d be best off calling a plumber
@sakk sa: If it wasn’t for foreign medical staff our health service would collapse.
@sakk sa: ‘as well’. More Journal comment naivety.
@sakk sa: what about 331 new medical schools. Why only two? Think bigger and better than the govt. make that 734 new medical schools and even more vet schools. And while we are at it, 43 new casement parks and 324 new Irish language schools in the north. 89 new runways for Dublin airport linked to runways in other cities so that planes won’t have to take off. In fact, call them roads and save on aircraft pollution by replacing planes with cars that run on fresh air. 4 million new homes by Xmas!
@Alan: 16 bike sheds at £20 each.
Producing more qualified people to leave the country because they cannot afford a home.
@Oh Mammy:
Most of whom will come back after a while.
I have 6 nieces and nephews who got college degrees over the last 10 years or so, every one of them went to Canada, New Zealand or Australia shortly after college, all bar one has returned to Ireland, able to earn decent money now.
Just like my generation of the family who headed to the States in the 80s, only one settled there, eventually getting their green card and subsequently becoming an American citizen.
@Oh Mammy: The thing you don’t understand is that it’s not more affordable elsewhere. NZ, more expensive, AU, same in most big cities, Canada, same, USA, same UK, even worse.
@Oh Mammy: if you think vets can’t afford a home then you’re an absolute clown. But then again, from seeing multiple of your comments on here, pointing out you are an absolute tit is like pointing out water is wet and the grass is green. Vets aren’t struggling to afford homes. Doctors aren’t struggling to afford homes. High paid professionals can afford to buy. It’s people on the average industrial wage that cannot afford it.
@Oh Mammy: As already stated, a clown show comment.
@Jack Hayes: there’s a whole army of them on the site. Days go by without a single relevant or interesting comment. Just relentless expressions of the same cliched, thoughtless points of view. The comments on the Apple windfall alone would deprive you of the will to live. I’m not looking forward to having to listen to the same thing courtesy of sf when the dail resumes.
@Alan:
Wait until the election campaign starts (in earnest)
@Oh Mammy: @Oh Mammy: @Oh Mammy: a shower of NGO minions. Ask any of the returnees if they made they right choice. More than not are looking to leave again. And there is no housing crisis. And there is no immigration problem. And the government are compromised, weak, incapable of original, critical thought. You are all owned by the NGOs. Your susceptibility to manipulation is the reason we have trump, garage, orban etc
@Alan: Well said, everything is negative, everything has to be a con job, personal insults , 100 years of this and that, it’s frankly infantile.
Why do judges grant bail when Gardai strongly object every time? The mind boggles.
@James Rowan: section 2 Bail Act 1997
Where an application for bail is made by a person charged with a serious offence, a court may refuse the application if the court is satisfied that such refusal is reasonably considered necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence by that person.
Seemingly the insurance companies are buying up all the practices and funding new ones, then hiking prices and pushing insurance on us.
That’s why it’s cheaper to get root canal than bring your dog to the vet.
@Notty Tee: Wow
We need to teach people how to care for our furry friends. I love this.
And where will the students who study live? Student accommodation for ATU being used for newly arrived people, instead of students
@Mary Kelly: Are you suggesting that we will have more veterinary students? I doubt the numbers will increase dramatically, but they will be spread out over more locations and not have in concentrated in one location.
Great news… there are only 85 college places every year in Ireland and almost double that have to go study abroad. My niece will be delighted!
Mixed reaction to this… my Daughter wants to study veterinary and we are looking at options in Eastern Europe. Accommodation and availability of accommodation is much better outside of Ireland so she may end up outside of Ireland regardless of this decision.
13 billion gone
@Vince Cable: Ether, meet 13b
Yes so needed!!
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