Green light given for new vet school at SETU

Minister for Further  and Higher Education Simon Harris has announced that the green light has been given to South East Technological University to proceed to the next stage in its application for a new veterinary school.

SETU has been chosen by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to have viable proposals to deliver additional capacity and courses in the areas of veterinary medicine, pharmacy and nursing.

University of Limerick and Atlantic Technological University have also been approved to open veterinary schools, which is set to triple the number of veterinary places for students.

Speaking today, Minister Harris said: “I am delighted that SETU has been successful in its proposals to expand healthcare places at the university. This is a major day for the entire South East region and for SETU which has hit the ground running since its establishment just over a year ago. It is a real vote of confidence in their ability to expand educational provision in the region”.

Wednesday’s announcement comes as part of a major expansion by Government in healthcare and veterinary provision, aimed at delivering graduates to meet demand in medicine, pharmacy and nursing/midwifery as well as dental science and dental surgery.

The HEA has been tasked by The Department of Further and Higher Education to deliver this additional capacity in healthcare and veterinary within a short time frame. 

Waterford Fine Gael Senator John Cummins said: “I am delighted for Professor Veronica Campbell and her exceptionally talented team at SETU. It is an exceptional achievement to have been adjudicated as having viable proposals to expand their nursing places by twenty-five. They have also been adjudicated as having viable proposals to develop new courses in the areas of veterinary medicine (forty places) and pharmacy (forty places).

At present only University College Dublin offers courses in veterinary medicine with just 85 places per year, and many Irish students instead must study in Poland or Hungary to become a vet.

“We now have concrete places to increase healthcare and veterinary medicine education across a number of our universities. This won’t happen overnight but it is a significant moment to be celebrated,” Senator Cummins continued.