Veterinary Ireland is to hold a workshop next month for vets on examining breeding soundness in bulls.

The event will take place on March 4, and is scheduled to begin at 8:30a.m and finish at 5:30p.m.

The earlier part of the event, up to around 2:00p.m, will take place at the Tullamore Court Hotel in Co. Offaly, followed by a practical afternoon session on a farm in Roskeen, Co. Laois.

The one-day event is suitable for vets interested in offering a bull fertility testing service to their clients, Veterinary Ireland said.

No prior experience is required for vets to take part in the workshop. However, only 10 places are available, with Veterinary Ireland saying early booking is advisable.

The trainers for the event will be vets Donal Lynch and Donal Murphy.

Veterinary Ireland said the trainers will cover all aspects of bull reproductive evaluation, including physical examination and methods of semen collection, among other topics.

The event will also feature a "good general discussion on the whole area of certification".

The workshop is part of the continuing veterinary education (CVE) regulations, meaning a certain number of CVE 'credits' will be available to those who take part in the workshop.

The CVE regulations are overseen by the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) which regulates the veterinary profession.

The purpose of CVE regulations is to ensure that veterinary practitioners and veterinary nurses in Ireland stay up to date with the advancements in veterinary medicine, nursing, technology, and best practices.

All registered veterinary practitioners and veterinary nurses are required to engage in CVE activities as part of their professional obligations.

Each registered veterinary practitioner must complete 20 CVE hours or 'credits' annually. Each registered veterinary nurse must complete 12 CVE credits annually.

DAFM recruiting veterinary inspectors

In other veterinary news, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has embarked on a recruitment drive for veterinary inspectors.

The department is seeking "suitably qualified, committed individuals" to fill a number of vacancies across the country in its Veterinary Inspectorate Services.

According to DAFM, veterinary inspectors play a vital role in protecting public health, the human food and animal feed chains and safeguarding the health and welfare of the national herd.