The Veterinary Council today welcomed 133 new vets and 48 veterinary nurses onto its register.
This brings the total number of vets and veterinary nurses on the Veterinary Council register to 2,938 and 1,019, respectively.
Meanwhile, the council predicts that increasing numbers of Irish veterinary students qualifying in universities abroad, as well as increasing numbers of international vets registering in Ireland, will help to meet the growing demand for large animal vets in rural areas.
Of the 133 newly registered vets, 50 were awarded their Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from UCD.
A total of 25 vets qualified from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Budapest, while the remaining vets also received their degrees from other universities abroad.
All but five of the newly registered veterinary nurses received their qualification in Ireland.
Niamh Muldoon, CEO of the Veterinary Council of Ireland, said: “It is the council’s hope that the influx of new vets will help to meet the demands and recruitment challenges experienced by some under-serviced rural areas, particularly relevant to large animal practices.”
