The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI), the statutory body responsible for the regulation, management and the education of the practice of veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing in the state, has welcomed the Government’s announcement of 80 new third level places for veterinary medicine.
The places will be provided at two new veterinary colleges located at the South East Technological University campus in Kilkenny, and at Atlantic Technological University campuses in Donegal and Galway.
Any new veterinary medicine courses will be subject to VCI accreditation processes to validate them and ensure high standards of veterinary medicine are in place. The Veterinary Council plays a key role in the regulation of veterinary medicine education, ensuring veterinary education and training remains up to date and is benchmarked to the highest international standards. VCI accreditation enables professional recognition in Ireland which then further affords access to registration in the UK, Europe and Australia and New Zealand.
Niamh Muldoon, CEO and Registrar of the Veterinary Council of Ireland, said; “The VCI welcomes this decision as it will bring clarity and certainty to the veterinary medicine sector. Today’s decision is the cumulation of efforts which started in 2022 by the Higher Education Authority and the VCI to increase capacity in the Veterinary sector. The additional graduates are greatly needed in the sector, which has seen an increased demand not only for veterinary practitioners, but also for critical agri-food research and development roles. As the regulator for the sector, the Council will be pleased to apply our accreditation assessment and standards to any new applicant programmes of veterinary medicine. This will be done to ensure the high standards of veterinary medicine enjoyed in Ireland are maintained, in the interest of animal health and welfare, public health, and Ireland’s agri-food sector.”
