Mr. Finbarr Murphy:

The Deputy asked if there is a shortage of vets. He is right. There have never been as many registered vets on the Veterinary Council of Ireland register. More than 3,100 vets are registered. However, we hear that large animal practices are finding it difficult to attract vets. As I mentioned earlier, vets tend to opt for the small animal side of the industry. We have an increasing workload in veterinary practice, with more pets and small animals as a result of Covid. As I mentioned, the Department is taking vets out of private practice into certification roles as a result of Brexit. All of those things are putting pressure on mixed large animal practices and their ability to attract new vets into the system.