Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Universities, including the University of Limerick are autonomous bodies established under statute. Universities are required to comply with all relevant Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines including as appropriate, the Public Spending Code and relevant circulars.

As autonomous bodies, the expenditure of a University’s income (public and private) is a matter for the individual institution and this includes responsibility for ensuring appropriate policies and procedures are in place to oversee the use of its resources.

The President of a University, as the Accountable Person for the institution, is accountable to the Oireachtas in respect of the expenditure of Exchequer funding and their financial statements are audited independently by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The acquisition process for the development referred to was undertaken independently by the University and outside of any supported or exchequer schemes under my remit.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has recently commenced a review of capital acquisitions procedures with the University of Limerick. It is intended that this review will be undertaken in an expedient manner. The HEA will provide my Department with an update once this process is concluded.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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26. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the work that has been carried out to fast track the delivery of the proposed new veterinary school. [9111/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ensuring an appropriate supply of qualified vets to meet the demands of Ireland's agri-food sector is an important issue for my Department.

My Department does not place a quota on the number of places on veterinary medicine courses offered by higher education institutions. The number of places provided each year is determined by the institutions themselves in line with their capacity. There are real, material limits on the number of places that can be created on courses with significant practical elements and placement requirements, such as veterinary medicine.

As you are aware, a number of institutions put forward proposals following the recent HEA Expression of Interest process outlining options for the expansion of existing veterinary medicine provision.

There is a substantial capital cost associated with the provision of any new school in veterinary. It is important that the scale of costs is fully understood and planned for. The options identified have the potential to transform the numbers of students who can take up places on veterinary medicine programmes and would represent a significant investment of public funding in our higher education institutions.

Detailed discussions are continuing to take place about the ways and means to address capital costs for the provision of any new school, including in the context of the ongoing review of Departmental National Development Plan allocations.

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