I move:—
That Dáil Éireann hereby confirms the Veterinary Surgeons Order, 1954.
The Order in question was made by the Government on 9th April, 1954, under Sections 4 and 5 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1952. Its purpose, in brief, is to confirm and give effect to the veterinary agreement with the British Government which was signed on 6th April, 1954, and to provide for the reconstitution of the Irish Veterinary Council.
Up to the present, the only portal of entry to the veterinary profession in this country has been by means of the examinations for the diploma of M.R.C.V.S. conducted by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Irish veterinary students, on obtaining this diploma are, as a result of the veterinary agreement made with the British Government in 1930, entered on both the Irish register of veterinary surgeons and on the general register kept by the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. It is by reason of this that our veterinary trainees, after obtaining the M.R.C.V.S. diploma at the Veterinary College, Ballsbridge, are able, if they so wish, to practise in Britain and countries of the British Commonwealth.
In Britain also, up to 1948, the only portal of entry to the veterinary profession there was the M.R.C.V.S. diploma examination. The whole position in Britain, however, was changed in 1948 on the enactment there of a new Veterinary Surgeons Act. That Act provided that veterinary degrees conferred by specified universities in Britain would, under certain conditions, be accepted by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as registrable professional qualifications, instead of being academic distinctions only.
From the end of 1946, in anticipation of the enactment of the British Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1948, the Department of Agriculture had had discussions with representatives of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and of the British Government. The British were anxious that Ireland should bring into operation an arrangement similar to theirs and we on our side felt it would be anomalous that students at the Veterinary College, Ballsbridge, should be the only veterinarians in these islands who would still have only one portal of entry to the profession, namely, the examinations held by the Council of the Royal College, while the members of the profession in Britain could qualify through the universities.
It was for this purpose that the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1952, was enacted here. Under that Act the Government is enabled by Order to direct, in the circumstances specified in the Act, that any person on whom a veterinary degree is conferred by a university in the State shall, on applying in the prescribed manner and paying the required fee, be registered in the Irish Register of Veterinary Surgeons. The Act also enables the Government by Order to give effect to any further agreements that may be made with the British Government in relation to the training, registration and control of veterinary surgeons and also by Order to provide for the reconstitution of the Veterinary Council in such manner as may be necessary as a result of any new agreement so made.
The first step necessary in the implementing of these arrangements was the completion of a new veterinary agreement with the British Government. Consultations in this matter, which had been proceeding for some time with the British authorities, and between the veterinary profession here and in Britain, were recently brought to a satisfactory conclusion and the new agreement was signed in London on 6th April. The main purpose of the agreement is to facilitate the registration in the general register of veterinary surgeons of holders of veterinary degrees of certain Irish universities and their membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. The agreement also provides for a new basis of Irish representation on the reconstituted Council of the Royal College so as to include, as well as representatives of the veterinary profession here, representatives of the two Irish universities concerned, that is, National University of Ireland and University of Dublin. It further provides for the continuance for some years, side by side with the new portal of entry to the veterinary profession through the universities, of the existing portal of entry by means of the diploma examinations of the Royal College.
As I have already mentioned, the present Order confirms and give effect to this new agreement. The Order also provides for the reconstitution of the Irish Veterinary Council. The existing council comprises eight representatives of the veterinary profession elected by the profession. The reconstituted council will comprise:—
(i) Seven representatives of the veterinary profession elected by the profession; (ii) one member appointed by the Minister for Agriculture; (iii) one member appointed by each of the two universities concerned, namely, National University of Ireland and University of Dublin.
The Order also provides afresh for such routine matters as times and conduct of elections of professional representatives to the Council, terms of office of the members of the reconstituted council, filling of casual vacancies, appointment of president of the council, etc.
This Order contains nothing of a contentious nature. It was made at the wish and with the full consent of the Irish Veterinary Council, and also with the agreement of the authorities of the two universities concerned. I can, therefore, confidently recommend it to the House for confirmation.