The purpose of this Bill is to make further provision in relation to the teaching of veterinary surgery and the regulation of the veterinary profession and for certain other matters incidental thereto. The veterinary profession and veterinary education in this country are governed by the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931, which ratified an agreement made in 1930 between the Irish Government and the British Government. This Act provides, amongst other things, for
(i) the holding of examinations by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the registration of veterinary students on successful completion of their course;
(ii) the establishment of an Irish Veterinary Council and the representation of the Irish veterinary profession on the General Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons;
(iii) arrangements in regard to such matters as fees payable by veterinary practitioners, the procedure for taking disciplinary action in regard to members of the profession in Ireland, and the superintendence of the examinations at the Veterinary College, Dublin.
In Ireland the only training centre for students who desire to become veterinary surgeons is the Veterinary College at Ballsbridge, Dublin, which is controlled and administered by the Department of Agriculture. This college has since its inception in the year 1900, been affiliated to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, London. By reason of that affiliation, it is the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons that holds at the Dublin Veterinary College the examinations leading to the award of the diploma of M.R.C.V.S., which is the professional qualification in this country. Students who obtain the M.R.C.V.S. diploma after passing the necessary examinations at the Dublin Veterinary College are, as a result of the 1930 agreement referred to, 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, and persons on the general register are also eligible for entry on the Irish register. 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 Great Britain and countries of the British Commonwealth.
Under the British Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1948, which became law on the 30th July, 1948, certain important changes affecting the training of veterinary surgeons and the veterinary profession in Great Britain were made. Previous to the passing of this Act, the only portal of entry to the veterinary profession in Great Britain was, just as it is now in our country, the Diploma of M.R.C.V.S., obtainable by students who had attended a recognised veterinary college and passed the examination held by the Royal College. The most important change made by the Act of 1948 was to provide that, under certain conditions, veterinary degrees conferred by specified universities would be accepted by the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as registrable professional qualifications, instead of being academic distinctions only. This change necessitated a reconstitution of the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. The Act provided for this reconstitution, which has been carried out. An important section of the Act provides for giving effect by Order in Council to agreements with the Government of Ireland in regard to such matters as the recognition, for the purpose of registration in the General Register, of degrees conferred by a university in Ireland where, under the law of Ireland, such degrees qualify the holders to registration in the Irish Register of Veterinary Surgeons, and the appointment or election, in accordance with the terms of such agreement, of Irish representatives on the reconstituted Council of the Royal College.
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 the Department of Agriculture, on their side, felt it would be anomalous that our 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 Great Britain could qualify through the universities.
It is appropriate for me to mention here that, since 1946, an arrangement has existed under which veterinary students may obtain degrees in veterinary science at University College, Dublin, and at Trinity College concurrently with their courses in the Veterinary College. The National University confers the degree of M.V.B. (Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine) on students who pass the university examinations and after they have obtained their M.R.C.V.S. diplomas. At Dublin University the degree B.Sc. (Vet.) is conferred on students who obtain the degree of B.A. and the M.R.C.V.S. diploma. For the purpose of this arrangement, the National University, in May, 1946, voluntarily and on their own initiative, established by statute of the university a Faculty of Veterinary Science and appointed the professors of the Veterinary College part-time professors of the National University. The degrees obtainable under the existing arrangement are not registrable as professional qualifications. The legislation now proposed in this Bill provides a means by which degrees such as those at present obtainable could be accepted as registrable professional qualifications.
In the course of the discussions with the British authorities, it was recognised on both sides that it would be necessary to have a new comprehensive agreement between the two Governments and discussions were held on matters to be incorporated in the agreement under the following heads:—
(i) Reciprocity in regard to the registration in the Irish Register and in the General Register of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
(ii) The continuance, for some time, of the existing portal of entry to the veterinary profession in this country by means of the diploma examinations of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
(iii) The provision of a new basis of representation of Ireland 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.
(iv) Such matters as the superintendence of examinations, disciplinary investigations and the payment of fees by persons registered in both registers.
Pending the enactment of the necessary legislation here and the drawing up of a comprehensive agreement pursuant to that legislation, it was thought desirable to make a temporary arrangement for the representation of Ireland on the reconstituted Council of the Royal College, which held its first general meeting on 1st June, 1949, and accordingly an interim agreement to deal with that point (and another point in relation to the payment of fees) was discussed and settled in London on the 11th May, 1949, between the representatives of the two Governments. Attached to the Bill is a copy of this agreement.
Progress with this Bill has been unavoidably held up. Although leave was given to introduce the Bill in the Dáil on the 18th July, 1950, the then Minister for Agriculture did not subsequently find it practicable to proceed with the further stages before the dissolution last year. The enactment of this legislation is necessary in order to give registrable status to university degrees, and it should no longer be delayed. Accordingly, I desire now to proceed with this Bill.
The Bill itself is short and simple. I have explained its background and will now comment briefly on its provisions. The most important section in the Bill, namely Section 2, will enable the Government, in the circumstances set out in that section, by Order to direct 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 requisite fee, be registered in the register of veterinary surgeons maintained by the Veterinary Council of Ireland. Sub-section (2) of this section provides power for the revocation of any such Order.
Section 3 of the Bill will enable the Veterinary Council of Ireland to appoint persons to visit any college or other institution in relation to which an Order under Section 2 is in force and to report to the Minister for Agriculture upon the courses of study, staffing, accommodation and equipment available for training in veterinary surgery and on the examinations leading to a degree.
Section 4 confirms the interim agreement made with the United Kingdom Government on 20th May, 1949, and provides a flexible arrangement by which the Government may give effect to any further agreements that may be made with the United Kingdom Government in relation to the training, registration and control of veterinary surgeons. As mentioned by me already a new comprehensive agreement will require to be made with the United Kingdom Government as soon as practicable after this Bill is enacted.
The Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931, under which the Veterinary Council of Ireland was constituted, contained no provision for later reconstitutions of the council. The flexible provision made for such reconstitutions under Section 5 of the Bill is necessary not only because of the change the Bill provides for in the system of veterinary training but because a reconstitution of the council will also become necessary under the proposed comprehensive agreement with the United Kingdom Government and possibly under any further such agreements.
Section 6 will enable the Minister for Agriculture, at the request or with the concurrence of the Veterinary Council, by regulation to make desirable or necessary alterations in certain minor matters at present fixed by the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931.
Section 7 of the Bill will give the Veterinary Council of Ireland an additional disciplinary power, namely that of suspending the registration of a veterinary surgeon in a case where the council does not wish to go so far as to erase his name from the register. A corresponding power was given to the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, London, under Section 16 of the British Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1948.
Sections 8, 9 and 10 of the Bill have been inserted at the instance of representatives of the veterinary profession. Section 8 strengthens the provisions made by the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931, against the practice of veterinary surgery by unregistered persons.
Section 9 gives the Veterinary Council the express power to acquire, hold and dispose of land. Section 10 provides for the acceptance of gifts by the council. Section 11 provides that the Bill, when enacted, shall be construed as one with the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931.
In conclusion, I should mention that before introducing this Bill I discussed its provisions with representatives of the veterinary profession and of the National University and of Dublin University. They all expressed themselves as satisfied with the measure.
Just one word more. This Bill does not deal with the future control of the Veterinary College, which is not even mentioned. One of the Bill's main purposes is to enable veterinary degrees to be given by the universities which will be registrable qualifications. They are at present giving degrees which cannot be registered. The other main purpose of the Bill is to enable the Government to enter into agreements with the British Government about reciprocity of treatment of veterinary surgeons here and in Great Britain. This Bill is necessary, whatever is to be the future of the Veterinary College. If a new institute is to embrace the Veterinary College, then separate legislation will be needed for that purpose, but the provisions of this Bill will also continue to be needed.
