The cabinet is to approve more than one new vet school for the country, Taoiseach Simon Harris has confirmed.

Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships on Tuesday 17 September, an Taoiseach said there would be more than one new vet school and they would be outside Dublin.

“The Government will consider this matter tomorrow [Wednesday 18 September] and the Government will have news in detail through Minister O’Donovan and Minister McConalogue in relation to new veterinary colleges this week.

“It is absolutely essential that we expand the amount of veterinary college places we have in Ireland. It is not right and proper that so many young people leave our country to study veterinary medicine, often in eastern Europe, each and every year.

“It’s also not right and proper that in particular parts of the country there are particular challenges in attracting vets.

“We have an excellent veterinary school in University College Dublin (UCD), it’s absolutely brilliant, but we also need a veterinary collage outside of Dublin and we will have very good news in relation to that tomorrow,” he said, in response to a question from the Irish Farmers Journal.

It is expected that an official announcement will be made by Minister for Higher Education Patrick O’Donovan, alongside Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, at the Ploughing on Wednesday.

Locations

The two colleges left on the Higher Education Authority’s (HEA) shortlist outside of Dublin are Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and South East Technological University (SETU).

UCD, currently the only third level institution in Ireland offering veterinary medicine, is also on the shortlist for the new vet school in an expanded capacity.

ATU’s bid is on the basis of a dual campus delivery model between Donegal and Mountbellew. ATU Donegal, based in Letterkenny, currently offers veterinary nursing.

ATU previously said if a decision was made this month, it would be in a position to facilitate a September 2025 intake.

Both ATU and SETU’s proposals stated that their new courses would see 40 places per year, with 200 students studying at both colleges upon full roll-out across all years.

SETU’s bid is in partnership with Kildalton. The university’s primary campuses are in Waterford and Carlow.

Limerick pulled out

Last week, University of Limerick (UL) pulled out of the running for the vet school.

The university notified the HEA that it was withdrawing its expression of interest for the new vet school.

Earlier this year, the HEA paused UL’s capital spending due to an investigation invoked by special powers into its spending and governance procedures.

Timeline

In October 2022, the HEA sought expressions of interest from institutions in building capacity for veterinary medicine.

In June 2023, it announced the four shortlisted universities.

An Taoiseach said at the end of April this year that new veterinary medicine course places at a new vet school were possible in 2024.

In his previous role as Minister for Further and Higher Education, the country’s new vet school had been under the remit of his Department in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture.

However, the new Minister for Further and Higher Education Patrick O’Donovan since said additional veterinary course places are not expected this year.