Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 December 2022
142. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science The way in which he will address the chronic shortage of veterinary medicine places; if he will outline a timeframe for delivering additional places; if he will instruct the Higher Education Authority to include a criterion of regional balance as part of the expression of interest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59807/22]
View answerEnsuring a supply of qualified Vets to meet the demands of the sector is a priority for my Department. Workforce planning requirements for the veterinary medicine sector requires advice from and consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Veterinary Council of Ireland, as the regulators of the profession.
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has recently sought expressions of interest from higher education institutions interested in building capacity in Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary from academic year 2024-25 or 2025-26. The closing date for expressions of interest was the 18th November. This process has been designed to respond swiftly to national skills needs, and EOIs are sought from institutions with capability to expand existing courses in these areas.
The HEA has informed my department that, 39 expressions of interest have been received. Of these, 20 institutions have proposed to deliver new courses, and 19 institutions are proposing to expand on existing courses in the selected disciplines. Overall, responses represent a rapid, nationwide engagement with the call, with expressions of interest in developing new courses in Pharmacy and Veterinary from all four provinces.
I understand that this process has moved into a second stage and the HEA is engaging with relevant institutions, in line with their statutory remit for planning the provision of higher education as set out in the new HEA legislation.
