The University of Limerick (UL), Atlantic Technological University (ATU), South East Technological University (SETU) and University College Dublin (UCD) have all been shortlisted to deliver new or expanded veterinary medicine courses, the Irish Farmers Journal can reveal.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal this week, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris said the ATU proposal would see a “dual campus delivery model between Letterkenny and Mountbellew”, while SETU would be working with Teagasc’s Kildalton Agricultural College in Kilkenny to deliver its course.

UCD’s proposal was to expand the number of places it currently offers and to have a graduate entry route, a route which originally had been ruled out.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) had been tasked by the Department of Further and Higher Education to establish how additional capacity might be provided in both healthcare and veterinary medicine.

It has found that, with investment, an additional 208 doctors, 692 nurses, 196 pharmacists, 63 dentists and 230 vets could potentially be trained annually.

Places

The four universities have been deemed viable to proceed, with a further evaluation process to take place to choose a location for the new school. Minister Harris said that it could be agreed that more than one project would get the green light.

The new school could be up and running, depending on the location, as early as September 2024.

UL’s proposal was to deliver 90 new annual places at full roll-out in veterinary medicine and surgery. Across all years at full roll-out, it would cater for 450 students.

Both ATU and SETU’s proposals stated that their new courses would see 40 places per course annually, with 200 students studying at both colleges upon full roll-out across all years.

UCD’s proposal was to expand its veterinary medicine course places by 45 students per year, bringing its number of places to 275 at full roll-out. It also proposed a graduate entry route, to take in five students annually.

The Government will now advance the process with investment to be considered in the context of budgetary processes and the National Development Plan review and a decision will be made accordingly.

See this week's Irish Farmers Journal for an exclusive interview with Minister Harris on the new vet school, farm apprenticeships and the nature restoration law.