There’s a new president of the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI), I note.

A Roscommon native, but working the beat in Wexford, Edward Joe Moffitt has been elected as successor to Peadar Ó Scannaill.

More interestingly, Dr Ailis Ní Riain has been elected deputy president. Dr Ní Riain is the first non-vet to take up the second-highest position within the council and will automatically succeed to be president in two years’ time.

Dr Ní Riain is a qualified human doctor and an expert on crisis pregnancy, having previously served on a Governmental group on abortion. She was appointed to the board of the Veterinary Council in February 2018.

Her appointment marks an end to Ó Scannaill’s tumultuous term as president, the term having seen not one, but four, registrars in place at the top of the body.