AQW 16046/17-22

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 09/03/2021
Answered On Date: 06/09/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy, given the 11 percent discrepancy in the optimal number of vets in Northern Ireland and the number of Northern Irish students studying veterinary qualifications in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, will she commit to presenting a business case to Ulster University to create a veterinary school at its Coleraine campus in order to ensure greater alignment between study and the needs of the economy as stated in her Economic Recovery Action Plan.

Answer:

The supply of Veterinary surgeons in Northern Ireland is a policy objective for the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and my Department is not placed to take any final decision or provide direct funding towards the establishment of a veterinary school, as it does not hold the policy or strategic intent. This matter is therefore for DAERA to consider and, if it concludes positively, fund and approve.