Tirlán welcomes new Veterinary Medicine School for South East

Tirlán welcomes the Cabinet decision and announcement by the Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD and the Minister for Higher and Further Education, Patrick O’Donovan TD of a new veterinary medicine school for the South East Technological University (SETU).

The new school will have strong connections with Kildalton Agricultural College, Teagasc’s flag ship educational college in Co. Kilkenny, and with SETU’s already offered agriculture courses throughout its campuses in the South East. It will be joined by a new school for the Atlantic Technological University to be based in its Donegal and Galway campuses. The Government has allocated €50 million in capital expenditure to advance these projects.

The decision could result in an additional 80 veterinary medicine graduates per year in Ireland. The farming and food industry is heavily dependent on the stable supply of large animal veterinary practitioners and this announcement, together with investment, is important for rural Ireland and for Tirlán’s farm family suppliers. 

Commenting on the announcement, Tirlán’s CEO Seán Molloy said: “The decision by Government is to be commended and will result in increased output of large animal veterinary practitioners who will have a focus on servicing of farming enterprises in rural Ireland during their training and education. The choice to allocate a veterinary medicine school in the South East, is positive news for Tirlán and our farm family suppliers. I thank Government for their foresight in making this decision.”

First Published 19 September 2024