The two pronged nature of the problem is understood by Kathy Enright, who travelled to Edinburgh to study veterinary science more than 12 years ago and later return to work in her native Limerick.
Hours and workload can be more intense in rural areas, which can make it harder to attract and retain staff. However, the service rural vets provide to farmers is vital and many in farm communities are fearful that a time will come when a vet will not be on hand to help with out-of-hours emergencies such as calving cows or injured animals.
There were 50 people in his class in Warsaw, Cooke says, and almost half were Irish. His younger sister has moved to Warsaw to study veterinary science and has just completed her first year.working group campaigning for an additional veterinary course, who says most of the vets aged in their 60s will have retired by 2030. He argues a new degree programme needs to be rolled out by 2025 at latest to provide 100 graduates to add to the workforce by the end of the decade.
“One in three vets on our register has qualified from a course outside of Ireland,” Muldoon told The Irish Times. “Without question there is a demand. For every single student that is allocated a place in UCD there is a demand from seven to eight students.” 07/04/2016-NEWS-Jackie Cahill FF photographed arriving at the Dail where his party will meet to consider the Fine Gael proposal for government.Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons / THE IRISH TIMES