Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response and for all the information he has outlined. I appreciate what he has said about the independent process and waiting until the report arrives. For the past five decades, veterinary education in Ireland has been delivered in the one school in UCD. It does not reflect the wider picture. As the Minister mentioned, the school is too small and the course is highly competitive. There is very little scope to expand the number of available places at present. Only one in four vets who are registered in Ireland was educated in the veterinary school in UCD. The other 75% were educated abroad. As I speak, approximately 500 Irish students are studying to become vets in eastern Europe because they cannot get a place here.

According to 2020 figures from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, there were nearly 6,000 cattle farmers, 605 sheep farmers, 40 pig farmers and 250 people farming poultry in my constituency in Clare. It is important that the veterinary school is brought to the region. I met with the team and examined the proposal, which seems excellent. The proposal accounts for cross-Border education, which is the way forward for all of our universities and colleges.

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