The future of the country’s six regional veterinary laboratories (RVLs) is to be decided later this year following a cost-benefit analysis.
The RVLs provide a vital service to farmers, including animal post-mortems, specimen sampling and collection and publication of animal disease surveillance data.
RSM Ireland, an independent economic analysis company, has been commissioned by the Department of Agriculture to undertake the analysis.
After completion, a report and recommendations are to be issued to Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed.
The full costs of running the RVL network and the projected costs of the three alternative service delivery models proposed in the recent Strategic Review of Laboratories will be examined as part of the cost-benefit analysis.
The three alternative services were to either keep all six RVLS open or close, in time, Limerick, Sligo and Kilkenny and upgrade the facilities at the remaining three labs (Backweston, Athlone and Bishopstown) or close all RVLs bar Backweston and put vans on the road to carry out the roles of vets in the various RVLs.
“To date no decision has been taken in respect of the options proposed for the RVLs,” a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Any decision will be informed by both a consultative process which took place with the relevant stakeholders in 2017 and the outcome of the cost-benefit analysis, the spokesperson said.
Staff shortage
Meanwhile as the cost-benefit analysis continues, the RVLs continue to have a shortage of acute staff to carry out key services at the labs.
Last month, the Irish Farmers Journal revealed that post-mortems were no longer taking place at Backweston, a key RVL for farmers in the northeast.
Post-mortems have not resumed at the lab, with the Department spokesperson stating “the Department is doing what it can to resolve this staffing problem” and that it “is likely to take a few months to complete the process of recruiting replacement staff”.
Read more
No post-mortems at Backweston due to staffing shortage
Department reviewing regional vet labs
The future of the country’s six regional veterinary laboratories (RVLs) is to be decided later this year following a cost-benefit analysis.
The RVLs provide a vital service to farmers, including animal post-mortems, specimen sampling and collection and publication of animal disease surveillance data.
RSM Ireland, an independent economic analysis company, has been commissioned by the Department of Agriculture to undertake the analysis.
After completion, a report and recommendations are to be issued to Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed.
The full costs of running the RVL network and the projected costs of the three alternative service delivery models proposed in the recent Strategic Review of Laboratories will be examined as part of the cost-benefit analysis.
The three alternative services were to either keep all six RVLS open or close, in time, Limerick, Sligo and Kilkenny and upgrade the facilities at the remaining three labs (Backweston, Athlone and Bishopstown) or close all RVLs bar Backweston and put vans on the road to carry out the roles of vets in the various RVLs.
“To date no decision has been taken in respect of the options proposed for the RVLs,” a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Any decision will be informed by both a consultative process which took place with the relevant stakeholders in 2017 and the outcome of the cost-benefit analysis, the spokesperson said.
Staff shortage
Meanwhile as the cost-benefit analysis continues, the RVLs continue to have a shortage of acute staff to carry out key services at the labs.
Last month, the Irish Farmers Journal revealed that post-mortems were no longer taking place at Backweston, a key RVL for farmers in the northeast.
Post-mortems have not resumed at the lab, with the Department spokesperson stating “the Department is doing what it can to resolve this staffing problem” and that it “is likely to take a few months to complete the process of recruiting replacement staff”.
Read more
No post-mortems at Backweston due to staffing shortage
Department reviewing regional vet labs
SHARING OPTIONS