I thank Deputy Carthy for his question and note his interest in it as an agricultural spokesperson. I want to get this right. I recognise there are two issues my Department must oversee. One is to make sure there are enough places to meet demand in the country. We have identified veterinary, dentistry, nursing and medicine as areas in which we wish to expand the number of places. We must also ensure, separate and distinct from that, that the number of Irish students who have to go abroad is reduced. I could never understand how there was a scenario in this country where official Ireland would say we had enough spaces when every year all these students found themselves having to go abroad. We only had one university in Ireland providing veterinary medicine. It does it very well and it is very sought after but there is only one.
The purpose is to scope out what higher education institutions could offer were they funded to do so. The existing number of places could be increased, and it would be entirely appropriate for an existing school to come forward and say it could do more, or there could be additional schools, or there could be both. There seems to be quite a lot of interest in this. There is also quite a lot of talk among vets about this and a real sense we could see at least one new veterinary school established. There is also a lot of regional interest in this. There are different views, as there will be among any group, as to who should house the new school or schools if they are to come about. The process we have put in place is robust and external to me. An external body has been set up through the Higher Education Authority, HEA, that includes the Chief Veterinary Officer and the Veterinary Council of Ireland. I hope that gives the Deputy confidence. I am not qualified to determine the most appropriate veterinary medicine courses nor is my Department. We listen to the regulators and the professional bodies on that just like we listen to the Chief Medical Officer on medicine places or the Chief Nursing Officer on nursing places.
On Northern Ireland, I and Deputy Conway-Walsh have done quite a bit about how we can continue to develop third level education on an all-island basis. We want to see that happen. It simply makes sense. I am satisfied, through the note given to me, that any programme deemed viable by the HEA will be subject to Veterinary Council of Ireland accreditation processes. EU Directive 2005/36/EC, which provides for the mutual recognition of qualifications of a range of professions, including vets, would ensure anyone who qualifies in a programme here has their qualification and registration recognised in Northern Ireland, the UK, Europe and some other jurisdictions.