LABOUR Party councillor and candidate in the coming general election, Conor Sheahan, believes the decision not to pursue the building and development of a veterinary medicine school at University of Limerick (UL) is a huge missed opportunity for the city.
The City North representative told this newspaper that there are questions that now need to be answered in relation to why the university pulled out, given it’s well established expertise in educating medical and science students.
“UL is strategically well placed to expand to cater for a veterinary medical school and, given the ageing workforce and chronic shortage of vets, it is clear that this is a bad day for Limerick,” Cllr Sheahan hit out.
“Some of my own friends would have loved to have studied veterinary medicine were it not for the shortage of places and resulting sky high points and many people are forced to travel to the UK, Poland, and Hungary because they cannot study here as UCD is the only university that teaches veterinary medicine.
“For years vets have warned of a cliff edge due to the scarcity of vets and and ageing workforce. We need over 320 vets graduating every year and at the moment that figure is just 80.
“It is extremely disappointing that the Minister for Higher Education (Patrick O’Donovan) could not deliver this badly needed facility as a County Limerick TD,” he added.
