Ireland needs to train vets who want to work with livestock, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has warned.
INHFA president Vincent Roddy said the country needs vets who are “willing to go out on a dark and wet night to calve down a cow or provide vital advice and support to our sheep farmers”.
Roddy suggested that, currently, Ireland’s sole third-level veterinary course at University College Dublin (UCD) is not doing this.
The INHFA leader was speaking as Minister for Higher Level Education Simon Harris and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue work on the development of a new veterinary school.
Concern
Roddy described “growing concern” that if the current trend of a shortage of livestock vets continues, “we won’t have enough vets to do this work”.
INHFA president Vincent Roddy. \ Philip Doyle
He said he has written to both ministers outlining a strategy to address this issue, focusing on the application process for the new school.
“In 2021, 70% of vets going on the Irish vet register were educated outside of Ireland and 45% of those were non-Irish.
“While no farmer will have a problem with a non-Irish vet, the reality is that these vets are less likely to stay here, which is why we need to address the problem through an Irish veterinary school,” said Roddy.
Minimum points
The INHFA president recommended that the new veterinary school would have a minimum requirement of 400 points, lower than UCD’s current 600 points.
The UCD veterinary school is not providing enough vet graduates who want to work with livestock, says the INHFA.
He said that in addition to this, applications should be taken from each of Ireland’s agricultural colleges from the top five students that are interested in veterinary practice.
“In following this model, we will provide a viable route to becoming a vet from those students that are interested in working with farm animals. In addition to the 400-point requirement, these students will also need to provide a portfolio indicating their skills and ability,” he added.
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New vet school should require no more than 400 points
Ireland needs to train vets who want to work with livestock, the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has warned.
INHFA president Vincent Roddy said the country needs vets who are “willing to go out on a dark and wet night to calve down a cow or provide vital advice and support to our sheep farmers”.
Roddy suggested that, currently, Ireland’s sole third-level veterinary course at University College Dublin (UCD) is not doing this.
The INHFA leader was speaking as Minister for Higher Level Education Simon Harris and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue work on the development of a new veterinary school.
Concern
Roddy described “growing concern” that if the current trend of a shortage of livestock vets continues, “we won’t have enough vets to do this work”.
INHFA president Vincent Roddy. \ Philip Doyle
He said he has written to both ministers outlining a strategy to address this issue, focusing on the application process for the new school.
“In 2021, 70% of vets going on the Irish vet register were educated outside of Ireland and 45% of those were non-Irish.
“While no farmer will have a problem with a non-Irish vet, the reality is that these vets are less likely to stay here, which is why we need to address the problem through an Irish veterinary school,” said Roddy.
Minimum points
The INHFA president recommended that the new veterinary school would have a minimum requirement of 400 points, lower than UCD’s current 600 points.
The UCD veterinary school is not providing enough vet graduates who want to work with livestock, says the INHFA.
He said that in addition to this, applications should be taken from each of Ireland’s agricultural colleges from the top five students that are interested in veterinary practice.
“In following this model, we will provide a viable route to becoming a vet from those students that are interested in working with farm animals. In addition to the 400-point requirement, these students will also need to provide a portfolio indicating their skills and ability,” he added.
Read more
New vet school should require no more than 400 points
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