Veterinary Ireland has called for an immediate investigation by the Department of Agriculture and the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) into the closure of the Donegal Animal Hospital in Letterkenny.

The practice was leased by the owner and vet Ciaran Roarty to the corporate global chain Independent Vet Care (IVC) in January this year.

IVC said the closure announced last Thursday was due to staffing difficulties and regulatory issues.

However, these were disputed by Roarty.

Without care

The practice services farmers in some of the most remote parts of west Donegal and reports emerged that a number of farmers and their animals had been left without veterinary care in the interim period, as other practices refused to travel to them.

Veterinary Ireland president Dr David MacGuinness MVB MRCVS stated that: “The reports of distressed animals left without veterinary care due to the closure of the veterinary practice by its lay owners is a major concern to Veterinary Ireland.”

Corporate practices

The influence of a corporate body over the vet practice and forced closure is also of serious concern to Veterinary Ireland, especially given the rising trend in neighbouring UK for the establishment of corporate run vet practices.

According to Veterinary Ireland chief executive Finbarr Murphy: “Our concerns that vets who become employees of lay corporate entities would not have control over the provision of veterinary services to the public have been realised.

“It is vital that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Veterinary Council of Ireland clarify immediately that lay persons can have no role in the operation of veterinary practices.”

He said it was clear that farmers had been left without 24-hour care as a result of the closure and it raised questions over which party was responsible for antibiotics and drugs which should be under the control of a veterinary surgeon.

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