Some 189 new vets and 82 new veterinary nurses have been added to the Veterinary Council of Ireland’s (VCI) register so far this year to take the number registered to work in the veterinary sector to an all-time high.

The number of qualified professionals on VCI’s register stands at 3,281 and 1,189 for vets and veterinary nurses respectively.

The highest number of veterinary professionals registered were in Co Dublin, where 456 vets and 244 veterinary nurses are currently registered.

Counties Cork and Tipperary followed in VCI’s listing of the counties with the highest number of registered veterinary professionals.

Newly registered

VCI’s data shows that of the 189 newly registered vets, slightly under a third received their qualification from UCD, while the remainder qualified abroad.

The Budapest University of Veterinary Science in Hungary and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland were the two most common universities for this year’s registered vets to have received their qualification from, according to VCI.

The veterinary nurse registrants were awarded their qualification from UCD, Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT), Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT), St John’s Central Cork AND Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT).

‘Strength, growth and demand’

Speaking on the release of the figures, CEO and registrar of VCI Niamh Muldoon said that the upward trend in the number of qualified vets registering represented a growing demand for workers to enter the sector.

“The Veterinary Council is proud to welcome all of the vets and vet nurses who joined our register in 2022,” commented Muldoon.

“This influx of talent will help to meet the demand for veterinary services across Ireland, and also indicates the strength, growth and demand of the sector.

“The council will continue to work with all of our registrants and our stakeholders in the interest of the public and animal health and welfare,” she added.