University of Limerick (UL) president professor Kerstin Mey has welcomed confirmation from Government that a proposal to establish a new veterinary medicine school at UL will proceed to the next stage.

UL is seeking to deliver an all-Ireland internationally accredited five-year undergraduate degree programme in veterinary medicine which will lead to a Level 8 veterinary medicine and surgery degree (B VetMS).

UL’s proposal has been deemed viable by the HEA and will now proceed to the next stage, with a business case to be assessed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

The Government allocation is for 90 places for veterinary medicine at UL, with at least 10% of student places to be reserved for students from Northern Ireland.

Key project

UL president professor Mey said: “This is a key project for University of Limerick and we believe the development of a veterinary medicine school will do much to build the resilience and sustainability of the wider midwest region.

“The bid was an excellent one and is vital both for the future development of UL in a key area of industry for society, but also in the development of a ‘one health’ agenda for both animals and humans.

“The veterinary curriculum will be developed in association with an international academic advisory group and we already have successful relationships with partners with animal facilities including Clonshire Equestrian and Salesian Agricultural College (Pallaskenry)."

The curriculum of the programme will be mapped to international competences with accrediting bodies, positioning UL as a leading international veterinary educator and maintaining and enhancing the current educational reputation of Ireland’s veterinary graduates.

Facilities

UL provost and deputy president professor Shane Kilcommins said that UL’s veterinary school will be based in purpose-built and refurbished facilities, with specialist anatomy pathology and clinical skills facilities.

"Our veterinary hospital will be a public-private partnership arrangement with local practices in which UL provides facilities, specialist equipment and clinical input enabling through co-investment 24-hour year-round access to clinical cases in small animal, farm animal and equine," he said.

Dean of the faculty of science and engineering professor Sean Arkins, who is a vet himself, also welcomed the announcement.

“This is a very significant and welcome announcement for UL and for the wider veterinary industry in the midwest region and beyond.

“UL has always been an innovator in education and is uniquely positioned to address the current issues in veterinary education with a novel student recruitment emphasis and an innovative delivery model which will provide a broad-based, research-led accredited programme to students from the island of Ireland," he said.

The development of the new veterinary medicine school will take place in partnership with the HEA and the Department of Further and Higher Education and will form part of UL’s new capital development plan.