Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We will get it right because I would imagine the best people to tell us what is needed in terms of veterinary qualifications are the chief veterinary officer and the Veterinary Council of Ireland and they are on the panel. I would not be so rude or arrogant to suggest that I or indeed other individuals with views on this outside the House know better than they do. I have very clearly outlined in the answer that there is an accreditation process. Even after the HEA process does its work, there is still an accreditation process that has to be gone through in terms of meeting standards. However, let us be honest, and it is important to be. There are different people, although not the Deputy or myself, with different views as to which college or university it should be. I am happy for the expert panel to determine those options. I am happy to have confidence in the Veterinary Council of Ireland and the chief veterinary officer, just as I trust the Chief Medical Officer in medicine or the chief nurse in nursing. That has always been the approach we have taken. It is not my job as Minister in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation, Research and Science to regulate or decide the regulatory professional standard. That is the job of the Veterinary Council of Ireland as the regulatory body. However, we will get it right; I agree with the Deputy on that. We need to be careful. The good news here is that there is a lot of competition, which is a good thing. There is a lot of interest. I am happy for the expert panel to do its work, independent and external of me, report back in March, and then in a very transparent way, stand over the process.

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