Ms Niamh Muldoon:

That is a welcome question. As part of our accreditation standards, we require from any programme of veterinary nursing and veterinary medicine that health supports be available to students. Veterinary medicine is an intense programme. It is a tough course to get into and to come through, which is great for us as members of society in terms of the quality of graduates. That is the case for any programme accredited by the Veterinary Council of Ireland. A requirement to meet council accreditation standards is that health supports are in place, so that there are individuals, such as tutors or lecturers, available to support the students, that there are health and well-being supports and that there is an appreciation for the challenges that might face any member of the profession throughout the continuum of their career.

The Veterinary Council of Ireland has carried out in recent years the first study of the mental health of veterinary professionals. In 2021, we carried out a survey in partnership with the National Suicide Research Foundation, a UCC-based programme funded by the National Office for Suicide Prevention. That anonymous survey looked at the well-being and mental health or our veterinary professionals. The results of the survey, published in a report issued by the council in April last year, offer some reassurance. There are levels of anxiety and challenges within the veterinary professions, as there are in many others, particularly health professions.

Equally, the Leas-Chathaoirleach referred to high suicide rates. One of the findings in that report from which I would take comfort is that a member of the veterinary profession is no more or less likely than a member of any other profession or any other person on the street to experience suicidality. There is a detailed report that sets out all that.

The other thing it is helpful to make reference to is the supports the Veterinary Council has put in place. We have issued a SAFEVET SMART booklet. It is a very practical guide. Throughout the continuum of a professional life, an individual or his or her colleagues may encounter challenges, and it is a matter of making sure there is an acknowledgment around the available supports. We are also collaborating with the National Office for Suicide Prevention in delivering a pilot scheme, we hope on a county-by-county basis, known as safeTALK, which is effectively a half-day programme which we hope will be available free of charge to any veterinary team around the country, thanks to the National Office for Suicide Prevention and us, so I have to give that office a nod. I believe that will make a very positive contribution not only to the veterinary communities but also to the communities our veterinary professionals serve. We know vets play a unique role throughout society, often in remote and rural parts of the country. The Leas-Chathaoirleach referred to individual farmers and the different challenges they face. Often the vet is a trusted professional who has regular contact with them.