An announcement on which college has been awarded the country’s new vet school is needed swiftly, shortlisted universities have said.

One of the four colleges in contention for the new school, South East Technological University (SETU), told the Irish Farmers Journal it “would like clarity as soon as possible”.

“There is great anticipation, positivity and confidence in SETU and among our stakeholders in relation to a new degree in veterinary medicine for the university,” it said.

Head of SETU’s land sciences department, Eleanor Kent, discussed the university’s proposed veterinary medicine programme with Taoiseach Simon Harris at the Dungarvan Agricultural Show in Co Waterford on Sunday 14 July.

Kent said at the show there was “interest and anticipation” among the public in SETU rolling out a new veterinary medicine degree as soon as possible.

“The location of this offering in the southeast region in collaboration with Teagasc Kildalton, Co Kilkenny, is essential and will build on a strong tradition of agricultural education by SETU,” she said

New intakes

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) said for an intake of vet students in September 2025, it ideally would need a decision to be made on the location by this September.

“The longer the delay with the announcement, the greater the likelihood is that intake will be pushed out to September 2026.

“The consequences of this will be that large numbers of Irish students interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine will again be forced to study abroad,” it added.

The University of Limerick (UL) proposes to have its first intake of 60 new students in September 2026, with that number rising to 90 per year by September 2028.

University College Dublin (UCD), currently providing the only veterinary medicine degree in Ireland, has been shortlisted in an expanded capacity.

Timeline

Taoiseach Simon Harris said at the end of April 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 has since said additional veterinary course places are not expected this year.

In October 2022, the Higher Education Authority sought expressions of interest from nstitutions in building capacity in veterinary medicine.

In June 2023, it announced the four shortlisted universities.