Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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4. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the bachelor of veterinary medicine will be delivered in Atlantic Technological University, formerly Mountbellew Agricultural College, Galway, in September 2025, as announced by his predecessor; if not, when this course will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14918/25]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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First, I want to wish the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, well as I did not formally do it. For a number of years, I have lobbied about veterinary colleges and I welcome the announcement where Letterkenny and Mountbellew was going to be one of them and Carlow-Kilkenny and Waterford was going to be the other.

My understanding was this was going to kick off in September 2025. I have heard it could be September 2026. Can the Minister clarify what is going to happen with that and why it has been delayed?

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for his kinds words to me and to the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin. We both look forward to serving this Department as a team and bettering the sector.

In terms of the Deputy's question, I am very interested in this area myself. I have made inquiries on it since I assumed the post. As the Deputy is probably aware, the HEA ran an expression of interest process in October 2022 to assess the capacity for expansion in key disciplines including veterinary medicine. Following the completion of the report and consultation with the Department of agriculture at the time, my Department directed the HEA to provide recommendations for the expansion of veterinary medicine education, having regard to competition, balanced regional provisional and diversity of approaches in delivery.

The HEA recommended the proposed programmes in Atlantic Technological University, ATU, and South East Technological University, SETU, be advanced. It is expected these programmes will have an annual intake of 80 additional veterinary students, which nearly doubles the current intake. My predecessor, and the then Minister for agriculture, Deputy McConalogue, accepted that recommendation at the time and jointly announced the planned expansion at the ploughing championships last year. Until that point, UCD was the sole provider of veterinary education in the State. The delivery of a veterinary medicine programme is complex. It involves specialist academic staff, appropriate facilities, laboratory equipment, curriculum development and accreditation is key as well. We can train vets but they need to have their granted accreditation to go out into the field. That programme validation is important as well.

The original estimated timeline for the ATU bachelor of veterinary medicine programme was estimated by the university to extend until September 2025. It recently released a statement that additional time would be necessary for them to validate the programme and to complete infrastructural development before the programme could open for application.

I have visited ATU and I have discussed this with its executive. The Deputy's question is on ATU but I have also visited SETU and had the same conservation with its executive because I am very keen that the veterinary programme should occur quickly. We need it. A significant number of students are studying in Poland and outside the State. The veterinary college in UCD has 90 students. That is inadequate. We need these additional 80 places but I am told by the colleges it will not be happening this year and they are saying it will be September 2026. I just advise the Deputy of that.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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There are probably 200 youngsters out of the country at the moment because UCD is not fit to take the numbers who are looking for this. I understand that there is a lot of setting up to it, but the problem is, as the Minister knows in his position, that a delay of three or four months does not work in veterinary or in college because if it is not ready for September 2025, it will not start until September 2026. I know the Minister is only new in his portfolio. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach is from this area. He represents Carlow-Kilkenny. They are looking to make sure there is provision in that area, but it would be a great development to have a veterinary college in our area, in the west of Ireland. It would help Mountbellew because there was an agricultural college there. It would also help the college in Letterkenny and places like that where they will be doing the study part of this. I ask the Minister to focus on this and to deliver this for those two areas because it is crucial.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I completely agree with the Deputy. My constituency is in neither catchment but is an agricultural constituency. It is an equine constituency. County Kildare is the home of the horses. I know many people who are interested in these courses and who tell me about the ongoing demand, the need for placements and the need for vets, including large animal vets. Small practice is its own area, of course, but we need people out on the farm and in large animal practice. As regards these programmes, with Kildalton SETU and Mountbellew in ATU, the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, is a very strong supporter of the programme as well. We have met on it and discussed it, including on site in ATU when we both visited there recently. I give the Deputy my commitment that this will be followed through. The colleges are now saying September 2026. I have no reason to doubt that. It is probably helpful that they are being candid rather than just spinning a wheel for this September if they know at this stage they will not make that. They are being realistic about their target date but I will hold them to it.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. I will follow the matter up with him as the months go by.