Vol. 545 No. 3
86 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if there is mutual recognition of veterinary qualification between here and Australia; if not, the reason therefore; and if appropriate steps will be taken to provide mutual recognition. [30363/01]
Under current legislation regulating the veterinary profession in Ireland – Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931 – the Veterinary Council of Ireland may recognise third country qualifications only where there are reciprocal recognition arrangements extant. I understand from the council that arrangements in place for mutual recognition of veterinary qualifications between Ireland and Australia ended in December of last year on the initiative of the Australian side. I propose to address the general issue of recognition of foreign qualifications in the context of draft legislation to replace the Veterinary Surgeons Acts, 1931et seq, which currently govern the practice in Ireland of veterinary medicine. In this regard, I secured Government approval in July of this year to draft heads of a Bill and this is now with the Parliamentary Counsel's office for legal drafting.
