Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this important and timely matter. When the Government came into office and I became Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, there were no plans to expand veterinary medicine in Ireland. If officialdom had been asked whether we needed extra veterinary places, the answer would have been no. I found that quite bizarre because many young and not so young people have to leave Ireland every year to study veterinary medicine. There is also a particular issue with large animals, which has been clearly explained to me by vets across the country. In certain parts of the country there are regional challenges when it comes to attracting vets.

Officials in my Department have done excellent work, along with the Higher Education Authority, HEA, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to identify areas in respect of which there is a need to train more people. As part of this workforce planning, the HEA recently sought expressions of interest from higher education institutions in building capacity in dentistry, pharmacy, medicine, nursing and veterinary medicine. They have done great work in that regard, and I thank them for it. I am really encouraged that a number of institutions have come back to say they can do more. This process was designed to respond swiftly to our national skills needs. Expressions of interest were sought from institutions with the capability to expand existing courses or to offer new programmes in these areas. The HEA is assessing the applications it received in conjunction with an independent panel. It is important for the process and its integrity that the panel is independent.

An expert advisory panel is reviewing and assessing applications for new programmes against assessment criteria agreed with the HEA. It is assisting the HEA to identify viable academic programmes based on information presented by applicants. It is expected to reach its conclusion in March, and then to make recommendations. As the process remains ongoing, it is not possible to say where any new programmes might be located. Of course, it is entirely appropriate for the Senator to put forward views on behalf of people in the region in which she lives. As with all HEA processes, this process is being conducted to the highest standards and will be externally validated. This includes the expert advisory panel. The HEA will consider opportunities for new programme provision alongside options for current programme expansion, to determine a final list of options to present to me hopefully next month.

Some people, certainly not the Senator, have questioned the expertise of the panel and its independence. I will use this opportunity to address that because it is important for the process. This is what the HEA does. It knows how to develop the third level education system. Every year since I have become Minister, we have asked the HEA to work with our institutions to identify additional college places in areas of high demand. For example, we have a five-year agreement to increase medicine places, as agreed with the HEA. We ensure that appropriate expertise is included on any panel. In that context, the chief veterinary officer and the Veterinary Council of Ireland have a role to play. That is important. My officials are engaged with the chief veterinary officer in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in respect of this matter.Factually, as a Government, we want to develop more veterinary places. We have gone out to the sectors, through the Higher Education Authority, HEA, and have asked what they can do and what the possibilities are. Quite a good deal of interest has come back.

I commend the vets, without singling out any particular institution involved in the process, and some of whom will be known to the Members, who came forward and advocated for this need to expand places. They have shown great leadership and have helped get us to this point today. It is important that I now let the expert advisory panel do its work and for it to report back to me next month. The Government will not be found wanting then, in trying to make progress on those recommendations and I am happy to keep in contact with the Senator at that stage.