Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ensuring a supply of qualified vets is an important issue for me and my Department. Officials in my Department have been engaging closely with colleagues in Minister McConalogue's Department in relation to these graduate supply requirements.

A number of institutions put forward proposals, following the recent HEA Expression of Interest process, outlining options for the expansion of existing veterinary medicine programmes but also for the development of entirely new programmes

While my Department does not place a quota on the number of places on veterinary medicine courses, the reality is that there are constraints in current capacity. This reflects the fact that programmes involve significant practical and placement requirements, and facilities, including appropriate laboratory facilities, to ensure programmes meet the necessary standards of the Veterinary Council of Ireland.

As the Deputy is aware, there is a substantial capital cost associated with the development of any new school of veterinary and it is important that the scale of the costs is fully understood and planned for. The options identified through the HEA's process have the potential to transform the numbers of students who can take up veterinary medicine in Ireland.

Detailed discussions need to take place about the ways and means to address capital costs for the provision of any new school, including in the context of an expected upcoming review of Departmental National Development Plan allocations. It will naturally take some time for these discussions to reach a conclusion, though I understand that the NDP review is likely to commence later this year.

I am continuing to work with the Ministers for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on the next steps.