I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. The veterinary profession and veterinary education in this country are regulated by the Veterinary Surgeons Act of 1931, which was brought in to ratify an agreement made between the two Governments, our own Government and the Government of Great Britain, in 1930. That Act provided, among other things, for the holding of examinations by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons; the registering of veterinary students who were successful on completion of their course; the establishment of an Irish Veterinary Council; the representation of the Irish veterinary profession on the general council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons; arrangements in regard to such matters as fees bayable by veterinary practitioners; the procedure in regard to disciplinary action in regard to the members of the profession in Ireland, and the superintendence of examinations by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Since 1900, the only place where students could be trained for the diploma in veterinary medicine is at the Veterinary College, Ballsbridge, which is under the control and management of the Department of Agriculture. It has been affiliated to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in London. By reason of that affiliation, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in London holds the examinations for which students are trained at the Dublin Veterinary College. These examinations lead to the award of a diploma called the M.R.C.V.S., which is the professional qualification necessary in this country at the moment for the practice of veterinary surgery.
One result of the 1931 Act was that the person receiving that diploma in Dublin was eligible for entry on the general register kept in England. Those who were on the general register in England were eligible for entrance to the Irish register. In that way, a student, qualifying at the Veterinary College in Dublin, was eligible to practise in Great Britain or in any country of the British Commonweatlh.
Since then, there has been a further development in Great Britain, where an Act was passed and became law in July, 1948. Certain changes were made which have an important bearing on the training qualifications of veterinary surgeons. Up to that time in Great Britain, just as here, the only portal of entry to the veterinary profession was through the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons but, as a result of the Act passed in 1948, certain universities in Great Britain have now the power of granting degrees in veterinary surgery and, without registration by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, these degrees are sufficient to enable those candidates to have their names entered on the veterinary register. This, of course, naturally necessitates a change here because if the change were not made here we would remain as the only part of these islands, let us say, where the portal of entry is still from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
As a matter of fact, in the 1948 Act in Great Britain a provision was inserted which gave the Government of Great Britain power to negotiate with the Government of Ireland in regard to such matters as recognition for the purpose of registration with the general council in Great Britain of veterinary surgeons here in Ireland if we should change our system of registration from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to the universities. From 1946, in anticipation of this legislation, negotiations had been going on between the two Governments, and the two Governments appeared to agree that it would be a good thing to have these degrees conferred by the universities in both countries and to have these degrees recognised as sufficient to have the candidates' names placed on the register.
Since 1946 I should mention that an arrangement had been entered into under which the universities here, the National University and Trinity College, were awarding veterinary degrees. In the case of the National University, where students are trained in University College, Dublin, they awarded the degree of M.V.B., Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine, and in Trinity College, B.Sc.(Vet.). In the case of the National University, professors of the Veterinary College were employed to give the necessary instruction preparatory to the awarding of this degree. These arrangements were made voluntarily by the universities and they had no force under Statute. It was necessary, even where a student got a degree in the National University or in Trinity College, that he should get a diploma from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons before he could have his name entered on the register. This Bill is to alter that to the extent that a degree conferred by a recognised university would be accepted as a registrable professional qualification.
It was, of course, recognised both by the British Government and the Irish Government that a new agreement would be necessary as a result of the Act in England and as a result of the new development here as to students being trained in the universities. That agreement will provide for reciprocity in regard to registration in the Irish register and in the general register in Great Britain of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the continuance for some time of the conferring of the diploma by the Veterinary College in Ballsbridge, and a new basis of representation on the reconstituted Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons so as to include university representatives as well as representatives of the veterinary profession in this country. It will also deal with such matters as the superintendence of examinations, disciplinary investigations and the payment of fees by persons registered in both registers. There was a temporary agreement made between the two Governments pending this legislation and that will be carried on until this Bill gets the force of law.
This Bill has been held up. Deputies may wonder why the same thing was not done here as in Great Britain. The Bill was ready for introduction in July, 1950, but the then Minister for Agriculture found it impracticable at the time to proceed with the further stages of the Bill and the Bill therefore lapsed with the ending of that particular Parliament and it is now coming up for your consideration. It is necessary to give recognition to the university degree and, speaking on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, I feel that this matter should not be delayed any longer and I ask the Dáil to accept the Bill on principle on Second Reading.
