The growing shortage of large animal vets is an international discussion, according to the UCD dean of veterinary Michael Doherty.

He said UK research suggest that fewer student vets see large animal practice as a sustainable career because of the working environment.

“Our practice model in Ireland is very mixed and practices are getting bigger, so there will be more sensible hours in terms of rotas,” Doherty told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“It isn’t a simple solution, but what we produce are really excellent vets who can go in competent on day one.”

He said the shortage of veterinary services is more acute in the remote areas of west Donegal and Mayo, but that Ireland is not alone in this.

“The same problem exists in Scotland, in the Highlands and islands.

“The government there is working with the Scottish agricultural colleges to look at that,” Doherty said.

Lowering the points needed to get into veterinary medicine is outside of UCD’s control and is down to supply and demand.

“To achieve the standards of training we require, we can’t, in the morning, triple the numbers because you won’t have the quality of graduates going out,” he said.

Elsewhere, the Donegal practice in Donegal charging €500 for an out-of-hours vet visit has reduced its fees this week.

Practice manager Gerald Roarty said this is due to new vets joining them in recent weeks from Germany, Italy and Croatia. Two more from Romania are expected to join Donegal Animal Vet Hospital in early April.

“Between midnight and 6am a call-out will be €200. Any other out-of-hours call-outs will cost €100,” Roarty said.

“Our problem is now language. For one-third of our clients, Irish is their first tongue, not English. We had no applications from any UCD-trained vets for the farm animal position.”

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Vet call-out fee of €500 is ‘not sustainable’