SETU in Waterford "poll position" for veterinary medicine course
Senator John Cummins pictured with representatives of SETU at Dungarvan Show
Waterford Fine Gael Senator John Cummins has said SETU is effectively in poll position with regard to securing a Veterinary Medicine degree course, in conjunction with Kildalton College.
An announcement on matter is expected within the next few weeks and with University of Limerick withdrawing from the race to secure the much sough after course, Senator Cummins said SETU is in a very strong position.
Seeking to quell concerns posed in some quarters that "political strokes" would be pulled to secure Veterinary Medicine for Limerick, he expressed his belief that the case put forward by SETU was very strong.
"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," he said.
"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," he added.
In July 2023, then Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris announced that the Higher Education Authority (HEA) 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.
“Over the past 12 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 said.
"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," he added.
Senator Cummins said he was impressed by the amount of work that had gone into developing the course and the clinical network model by Dr Mary Kate Burke, formally of Cambridge University and the SETU team.
The practical, five-year degree programme would graduate 40 students a year resulting in 200 additional students studying at SETU over a five year degree programme.
“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," said Senator Cummins. He said those letters, one dated April 22, 2024 and the other dated February 10, 2024, were submitted to Minister Patrick O’Donovan and former Minister Simon Harris, respectively.
“I have consistently said that we need to talk up our new university, not talk it down," he said.
"I believe there is amazing work being done at SETU, led from the front by Professor Veronica Campbell," he added.
"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”.
