This week, Patrick Donohoe reports that a review of the country’s six regional veterinary laboratories is taking place. The laboratory network is no stranger to reviews.

Given the political situation, it is unlikely that any proposal coming to the Minister will involve closure of facilities. Still, this does not safeguard the service for farmers – there is little difference between a closed regional vet lab and one that is not adequately resourced. Leaving aside politics, is there a need for six laboratories? Increasing herd size creates economies of scale, except animal health. Investment should be made to transform RVLs into a real-time knowledge hub for farmers and the industry.