McConalogue hails ‘massive’ veterinary medicine win for ATU in Letterkenny

Charlie McConalogue says the arrival of a new veterinary medicine programme into ATU Donegal is a ‘massively significant’ for the area.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine announced a new Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVMS) programme which has been approved to welcome its first intake of 30 students next September.

Half of the €50 million if government funding to establish the new veterinary school at the Letterkenny campus has been pledged by Minister McConalogue’s department.

“Veterinary medicine is one of the prime and key courses that third level institutes seek to get,” Minister McConalogue told Donegal Live. 

“Until this announcement, only one college in Ireland delivered this course - UCD. Veterinary medicine is an ace in a pack. This is one of the really sought after courses to provide. As a provider, Letterkenny will have new opportunities and collaborations.

“This is massively significant for the region and also for the development of the ATU. It shows the massive development in Letterkenny from the college starting off as a Regional Technical College. This will take the college to the next level.”

The clinical part of the veterinary course will be provided in Letterkenny, while the practical side will be delivered in collaboration with Mountbellew Agricultural College in Galway. Another veterinary school has been announced for the South East Technological University.

The new course will add to the existing offerings of Agriculture and Veterinary Nursing degrees currently on offer at ATU Donegal.

Minister for Education, Research, Innovation and Science of Ireland, Patrick O’Donovan has pledged his support to the plans.

The veterinary profession in Ireland is facing several challenges, including an aging workforce in rural areas and difficulties in retaining veterinarians in clinical practice. 

Minister McConalogue said: “This is a strong and important step for Irish agriculture and Irish farmers in a context of being able to have a pipeline of young, qualified vets who are involved in large animal practices and providing quality veterinary support. 

“This is also a real boost of confidence for the farmers of Donegal. I want to recognise the advocacy and the support of Joe Sweeney as the Chair of the IFA in Donegal. 

This will open new doors and new opportunities in terms of building the science department and also open up collaborations, particularly on a north-south basis on the provision of veterinary medicine and also in terms of human health as there are now so many cross-overs in terms of medicine. 

“It is a significant step and one which ATU can build on. In the short-term, it’s about getting up and running and the Cabinet decision means that ATU will be able to start its first intake in September 2025, while South East TU is approved for start in 2026.

“This is a real vote of confidence in the region and to the young people of the area. Previously, those young people would have had to leave the county or maybe the country to pursue veterinary medicine. Now, they will be educated her in our own region.

“At the moment, 90 students a year can go to study veterinary medicine in UCD and this announcement will almost double that.”

The Minister hailed the work of Paul Hannigan, the Head of College at ATU Donegal with the bid led by Dr Joanne Gallagher, the Head of Faculty of Science and Health at ATU, and the support of Edna Curley, Head of Centre at Mountbellew Agricultural College and Orla Flynn, the President of Atlantic Technological University.

He said: “They put together a really good application. There is €50million of capital investment and almost €32million of that will be spent in Letterkenny and Mountbellew. 

“This will also mean news jobs in Letterkenny to service the course and with 200 additional students by the time the course is at full capacity it will also mean an increase in economic activity.”