Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for coming in. After many partisan contributions, I feel I should nearly make a pitch for a veterinary college in Longford. I do not think we have a submission in, however, so I will pass on that.

I note with interest the breakdown from the Veterinary Council of Ireland that 52% of the vets on the register are male and 48% are female. Did that happen over a short period or has it been an evolving story? It is an impressive statistic, that we are almost at 50-50, which is what many sectors aspire to.