Parliamentary committee tackles veterinary nurse recruitment crisis

Parliamentary Committee Tackles Veterinary Nurse Recruitment Crisis

On Wednesday, 15th July 2026, at 15:30, the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food gathered in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House to address the pressing issues surrounding the recruitment and retention of veterinary nurses in Ireland.

The session will feature testimony from key industry bodies, including the Veterinary Council of Ireland and Veterinary Ireland. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan, serving as Committee Cathaoirleach, emphasised that the meeting aims to resume focus on these vital workforce challenges. He noted that previous discussions have highlighted significant structural pressures, limited career progression opportunities, and demanding working conditions.

"We will again look to those attending to give detail on the challenges facing recruitment of veterinary nurses," Moynihan stated. He explained that many practices struggle to attract new talent because current salaries often fail to reflect the high level of training, responsibility, and emotional stress inherent in the profession.

The committee intends to hear directly from veterinary surgeon practices impacted by these shortages to understand the wider implications for farm animal health and rural veterinary services. The goal is to gather insights on how these professionals plan to mitigate the issues currently being experienced across the sector. Proceedings of the meeting can be viewed via the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App.