Waterford Fine Gael Senator John Cummins has said SETU is in a great position on Veterinary Medicine, ahead of an expected announcement in the coming weeks, quellingconcerns posed by some that political strokes would be pulled to secure Veterinary Medicine for Limerick. Yesterday the University of Limerick announced they were ‘withdrawing their interest’ in having the veterinary school.
Senator Cummins said “I believe the case that has been put forward by SETU to deliver highly sought after veterinary medicine degrees in conjunction with Kildalton College is very strong and one which I have supported from the outset. I have had former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and current Taoiseach Simon Harris at meetings with the SETU leadership team on a number of occasions and the development of Veterinary Medicine has formed part of these discussions.
In July 2023, then Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris announced that the Higher Education Authority had assessed proposals by SETU to establish new courses in the areas of Pharmacy and veterinary medicine, as well as an expansion of nursing as viable options for consideration as part of the ‘Building Capacity’ process.
Senator Cummins said “Over the past twelve months full business cases have been finalised and there has been extensive engagement between the Department of Further and Higher Education, Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Higher Education Authority to identify the exact number of places with recommendations on where they should be based and the capital costs of same under consideration”.
He added “I have been convinced of the case for veterinary medicine from the very outset because we have a significant shortage of vets in Ireland, particularly those who deal with large animals. At a recent event hosted by the university atKildalton College, I was very impressed with the work that has gone into developing the course and the distributed clinical network model by Dr. Mary Kate Burke (formally Cambridge University) and the SETU team. The practical five-year degree programme would graduate 40 students a year meaning up to 200 additional students would be studying at SETU over a five year degree programme”.
He said “Some of the recent statements by politicians who have come very late to this process calling for a ‘united front from South East Oireachtas members’ to secure veterinary medicine are a bit ironic because the full support of South East Oireachtas members was given to letters I personally organised in support of SETU dated 22nd April 2024 (to the new Minister Patrick O’Donovan) and 10th February 2023 (to former Minister Simon Harris).
“I have consistently said that we need to talk up our new university, not talk it down. I believe there is amazing work being done at SETU, led from the front by Professor Veronica Campbell and I don’t buy into the negative narrative that some try and paint. Our new university, with a new field of study, is a critical component of ensuring a step change within Higher Education in the South East and I believe SETU is in poll position on veterinary medicine”.