Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests, who are clearly very passionate about the subject. I read in an interview with Mr. Fleming in the Irish Examiner today that there are major issues. The headline of the article was "Retirements and a lack of newly qualified vets leave profession in crisis". We have got the message loud and clear.

The question must then be asked as to what the Veterinary Council thinks of this and what has it done about it. I would like to put this question to the witnesses. Some weeks ago, I was in Mountbellew Agricultural College at the launch of the book about the famous Aleen Cust, who was the first female vet in Ireland. She was a very impressive woman who spent a long period of her practice in Mountbellew, was involved in the 1916 Rising and looked after many of the horses used at various stations. She also spent some time in the UK. She was a remarkable woman who had to study medicine before she could study veterinary medicine because she was not accepted into a veterinary college in this country. We spoke earlier about the naming of the children's hospital. It struck me as I was coming down here that I would certainly be a strong advocate of calling any new veterinary hospital or faculty in this country after Aleen Cust, the most famous and most remarkable of women who made such an enormous contribution to veterinary medicine. I have some copies of the book about her in my office that I will certainly circulate to members of the committee.

Looking at the witnesses' presentation, a few issues arise. Going back to Aleen Cust, I met a few vets at the launch of the book about her. One vet told me that veterinary training is not fit for purpose and that we need a new model of veterinary training. There is particular concern about large animal practice - not small animal practice or practice in urban settings. This vet spoke about issues in the west of Ireland in particular and the challenges around that. This man is a practising vet whose son is in the business but has left large animal practice because he says it simply does not pay and you could have a handy number five days a week in a small animal practice with four vets making a lot of money in a shop on the main street in the west of Ireland - happy days - so he said that was his option. This option is also more family-friendly and you can get a bit of consultancy work on the side. UCD has 82 training places so we clearly do not have enough.

It strikes me that the UL model is a great opportunity. I would also like to think that we would look at North-South cross-Border. I would like to look at the figures there and see what greater co-operation could take place North-South. It is an option we should always pursue because it makes a lot of sense. In the witnesses' submission, they state that UL is committed to promoting changes to entry requirements for the new veterinary school and a new education model. These are the same words I heard from the vets at the Aleen Cust book launch. Clearly we must look at the model and the new type of training model so I would like to hear about that. How would it differ from the model in UCD?

I also asked the vet about veterinary technicians and whether the veterinary profession is resistant to auxiliary vets or veterinary technicians. I am not here to diminish the noble profession that is veterinary medicine and its professional requirements but is there a role for enhanced veterinary technicians to work with large animals as a stand-alone recognised noble profession because I think there is?

The management of animals is not all medical; there are technicalities and administrative elements. Traditionally, many farmers administered veterinary practices to their animals. Perhaps the Veterinary Ireland union and the Veterinary Council have issues around that. It is a debate for another day. I believe there is a role for veterinary technicians through a module, training programme or apprenticeship programme. There is something in that. Is there such a thing? What is the buy-in and support for that? I welcome the idea; it is wonderful. I happen to know the chancellor of the University of Limerick very well, as do many of us. The witnesses are pushing an open door. It is to be welcomed and makes absolute sense. People are competing; there is no health professions admission test, HPAT, like there is in medicine. Many academic people get into veterinary college. I would love to know how many fall back out, discovering after three years it is not for them. Perhaps the organisations have done research into that. They are pushing an open door. I am very supportive; I think everyone here is. The University of Limerick is an option but North-South is an important option too. Will the witnesses discuss the issues around veterinary technicians and the role they could play in assisting vets or taking some of the pressure off the demand?