Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for coming to discuss this important topic. This is about the placement of a veterinary school at the University of Limerick, UL. This will not only benefit Limerick, it will also benefit the region. I am aware that the Minister and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, have met representatives from UL, along with other contenders for this school. In 2022 the national health strategy highlighted the role played by farm animal vets in animal welfare and health. In UCD, there are 82 people currently studying veterinary science at undergraduate level and another 50 at postgraduate level. I have availed of their small animal hospital on two occasions. It has been a very successful hospital and a training ground for many students. Last year there were 581 applicants for 82 places. As a result, many people have to travel abroad to study. For balanced regional development and student retention, the University of Limerick is best placed to implement the next veterinary training school and hospital. I note University of Limerick has come up with a hybrid model.They have been working with veterinary practices, not just in Limerick but throughout the region, and have the support of a large number of them. The veterinary practices have come together and formed a veterinary working group. They are proactive when it comes to giving student placements in order that they can gain experience.

Another matter has been highlighted in the region. A number of large animal veterinary practitioners are retiring, and there are not enough people coming along behind to replace them. We are all really concerned about animal welfare, so what is proposed would give rise to good and balanced development from a regional point of view. We have the agrifood sector in the mid-west. We have dairy producers we have the Golden Vale. The mid-west would an appropriate place to locate the new veterinary college. The University of Limerick currently offers courses in human sciences, equine sciences, dairy production and biomedical. It has a good mix. If veterinary practice were added, the various courses would complement each other well.

My call is for the Minister to consider the University of Limerick as the site to locate the new veterinary school. The authorities at the university have put a lot of work into their application. I would like to hear an update on the matter from him.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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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.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Great. I thank the Minister very much indeed for what is a positive response in respect of the independence of the assessment. I know the University of Limerick has also looked at the fact that points are quite high to qualify to go on the course. People, sometimes, even qualify but find that veterinary may not, perhaps, suit them. The University of Limerick has also proposed to introduce an interview process and working with people around their whole skills level in how they interact with animals. This is very important. That is a very strong point which should stand to it in this application. I wish the University of Limerick all the best with its application.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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Just before the Minister replies, I concur with Senator Byrne. I raised this issue on the Order of Business in the past week. The University of Limerick has put forward a very professional application. It was not long ago, just before Christmas, when I was flying to Poland and I met 60 students going there to train as vets. Of course, we would love to see them training in this country. I know the Minister is very committed to seeing that happen as well. I now invite the Minister to make his final response, please.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I concur.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I believe Senator Ahearn also wants to be associated with these remarks. As much as I have great regard for all of my colleagues and for the points they have made, they will understand why I am resisting commenting on any specific application out of respect to the independence of the process.

I will just make two points. On a general point with respect to the University of Limerick, we do not often get to say these things on the record. The University of Limerick has been transformational for the mid west. There is just no doubt about that in respect of access to education, industrial development, social cohesion and economic development. In fact, when we establish new universities now around the country, I point to that transformational moment that UL was for the mid west as a template for other regions. I also want to say that in respect of the criteria, which will be assessed independently and externally, regional impact as well as national impact is a part of these criteria.

Finally, I agree with Senators Byrne and Conway in respect of the absolute importance of ensuring that young Irish people who want to study to become vets can to so in our own country and that we stop having to meet them at the airport on their way to other countries, as grateful as we are to those countries. We want to be able to train young people here and to increase the number of vets we have in this country. We also need to recognise the issue around large animals, where we need to have enough vets working in that area. I am happy to keep Senators updated as the matter progresses.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Byrne and the Minister for taking those three Commencement matters.