Posted 08 July 2009
Ministers welcome cross-border graduate veterinary public health programme
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mr. Brendan Smith TD and the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland, Ms. Michelle Gildernew MLA attended the official signing of an agreement between University College Dublin and the University of Ulster for a joint North-South Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Public Health.
Pictured far right: The Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, in Northern Ireland, Ms Michelle Gildernew MP MLA and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in Ireland, Mr Brendan Smith TD.
Developed by the universities in collaboration with DAFF and DARDNI, the course is designed to meet the continuing educational needs of Official Veterinarians involved in regulating the food industry. It also meets a legislative requirement contained in European Regulation 854/2004. The course, which will be jointly conferred by both universities, is delivered entirely on-line and is the first of its kind to be available anywhere in Europe.
Pictured at the official signing at Farmleigh, Dublin (l-r): The Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, in Northern Ireland, Ms Michelle Gildernew MP MLA; Professor Hugh McKenna, Dean of Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, University of Ulster; Dr. Philip Nolan, Deputy President and Registrar, University College Dublin; and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in Ireland, Mr Brendan Smith TD.
"My department experts have worked closely not only with both Universities, but also with colleagues from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland, the FSAI, the Food Standards Agency of Northern Ireland and the European Commission Food and Veterinary Office. This investment by my Department in continuing education for official veterinarians engaged in veterinary public health, demonstrates the importance we give to the proper regulation of the food industry. This regulation is essential if Ireland is to maintain and enhance its position as a producer of food of the very highest quality in European and world markets," said Minister Smith at the event at Farmleigh, Phoenix Park, Dublin, on 06 July 2009.
“Swine flu, Bird flu, Foot and Mouth and other diseases threaten human as well as animal health. A highly trained set of vets in public health is crucial to safeguarding our human food chain across the island of Ireland," said Minister Gildernew at the official event.
"We are both working towards an all-island animal health and welfare strategy which will further enhance co-operation and this type of shared training initiative will help in the implementation of the final policy once it is up and running.”
University College Dublin has the only School of Veterinary Medicine on the island of Ireland and through distance learning at the University of Ulster, has been running an MSc in Food Regulatory Affairs for a number of years.
The EU regulation 85/2004 prompted the Departments of Agriculture in Dublin and Belfast to encourage the two universities to design and develop a specific programme in veterinary public health that could accommodate vets working fulltime in remote locations.
This partnership draws on complementary strengths of University College Dublin, which has an active research group in food safety, and the University of Ulster, which offers expertise in regulatory affairs and online education.
This new qualification represents the first of a number of planned graduate degrees, including Public Health Nutrition, forging their relationship, and actively contributing to future enhancement of health and wellbeing North and South.
