Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697803717821.pdf (Ireland)
HEA Opening Statement Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine Meeting of the Committee to discuss the topic of a New School of Veterinary Medicine in Ireland.

10th May 2023 Chairperson and Members of the Committee, My colleagues and I are pleased to assist this Committee in its discussion of the topic of a New School of Veterinary Medicine in Ireland.
The HEA is the State agency with a statutory responsibility for the governance and regulation of higher education institutions and the higher education system.

The HEA promotes the strategic development of the Irish higher education and research system, with the objective of creating a coherent system of diverse institutions with distinct missions that is responsive to the social, cultural and economic development of Ireland and supports the achievement of national objectives.
Under the HEA Act 2022, the HEA has responsibility for the strategic planning of higher education provision, which includes consideration of supply, regional balance, and equity of access.

In line with this responsibility, in 2022 the HEA designed and initiated a process to assist with strategic planning of programme provision in Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine.
1 The Higher Education Capacity Building Process was established for these subjects in response to ongoing requests from Government for additional student places and well- attested recruitment challenges within the health sector and elsewhere.

The process was designed to identify options to build sustainable capacity in these subject areas in the higher education system and to offer a swift response to Government on identified national skills.
With these objectives in mind, the process sought to identify opportunities to create additional capacity through programme creation or expansion in academic years 2024-25 and 2025-26.

A total of 39 expressions of interest were submitted to the HEA from 15 higher education institutions.
The HEA managed Expressions of Interest relating to programme creation and programme expansion, and, as the committee will be aware, a report detailing options for capacity building was submitted to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, T.D.
This report constitutes a rapid, nationwide response from the higher education and research system, demonstrating its readiness to deliver Ireland’s skills needs with a range of for Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, sustainable options for Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine programmes Government to consider.
Requests from Government for additional places in health disciplines have issued on an annual basis since 2020 and the higher education system has provided more than 750 places on an ad hoc basis over that period.

While the provision of this 2 of places additional demonstrates quantity the responsiveness of the system to national skills needs, it is the view of the HEA that these gains are not sustainable in the medium to long term.
Moreover, institutions have indicated that while the necessity of responding to urgent need is understood, capacity for further additional places without additional resourcing and under such ad-hoc arrangements cannot be sustained.

In relation to Veterinary Medicine, it is a matter of record that many Irish students seeking to study Veterinary are doing so outside of Ireland.
Access to Veterinary Medicine in Ireland is highly competitive, with a CAO points range from 601-625 for 82 places, which are delivered by University College Dublin.

Recent data from our colleagues at the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) on the number of new vets joining the register each year over the last five years indicates that 33% (74) qualified at UCD while the majority (67%, 150) qualified outside of Ireland.
Given the principles of ‘One Health’, the centrality of agriculture to the economy, the importance of food security, and learning from Covid-19 pandemic, it is important that the higher education and research system is in a position to grow current capacity in Veterinary Medicine.
Also worth noting, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), which has a statutory function to promote competition and protect the interests and welfare of consumers, has written to the HEA stating that it would welcome new entry into the market for veterinary education and training, particularly if it leads to an increase in the 3 number of Veterinary Medicine training places in Ireland.
In the view of the CCPC, a new Veterinary Medicine provider would enable Ireland to better meet its own needs in the supply of veterinary services and increase competition in the provision of veterinary education driving greater innovation and diversity of offerings for students.

Five Expressions of Interest were received for Veterinary Medicine through the HEA’s process.

Four related to the creation of new programmes and one related to programme expansion.
A number of these applications for increased Veterinary Medicine provision were considered viable within the proposed timeframe by an Expert Advisory Panel.

This suggests that a number of configurations for increased capacity in Veterinary Medicine are possible, which includes opportunities to bring regional balance to the provision of Veterinary Medicine education.

Proposals also offer different models of Veterinary Medicine education, which the Government may wish to consider.
In weighing possible configurations for increased capacity in Veterinary Medicine (and indeed Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing) we also need to consider a diversification of entry routes and a diversity of modes of delivery to open up such programmes to a wider range of students while protecting our quality of provision and maintaining the required professional standards.
In respect of quality and diversity of provision, it is equally important to recognise that the current provider, UCD, is highly regarded both nationally and internationally for its 4 education and research from animal husbandry to veterinary biosciences, microbiology and parasitology.

In considering possible configurations for increased capacity, the HEA would expect to be central to any such discussion, given our statutory remit.
Thank you for the opportunity to join this conversation today, we are happy to answer whatever questions the Committee may have.

Ends.

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