Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Pending the registrations and preparations being put in place, the plan is that we will see the first intake of students in the south east, at Waterford and Kildalton, in September 2026, just under two years away. The recruitment and the scaling up of the accommodation and infrastructure that need to be put in place will happen between now and then, although that is not far away. From that point onwards, we will see it grow every year to a maximum of 200 students.

It is the culmination of a very long and thorough process. I congratulate all at SETU and Kildalton for the strength of their application. As Minister, I was very clear that we needed to make sure there was regional balance but also that there was a focus on large animals. There is a particular challenge with regard to underpinning and supporting the farming sector going forward and we need large-animal vets who can support farmers. Both the south-east and north-west applications had a particular focus on that and it will be very important for the farming sector going forward.

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