What DAFM roles require veterinary qualifications?
Staff with veterinary qualifications undertake a "variety of roles" within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon said these include food safety, animal health and welfare, certification of exports and provision of laboratory services.
He said his department is "committed to ensuring that a skilled and motivated workforce is in place to meet its priority business needs".
"Workforce planning processes are utilised to identify requirements across all grade streams and locations, aiming to ensure a long-term, proactive and strategic plan by which current and future staffing needs are addressed," the minister explained.
Vacancies
Minister Heydon was responding to a question from Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy.
The minister said that overall staffing levels and required skills are monitored on an "ongoing basis" to ensure business needs are met within budgetary and organisational priorities.
"Requirements are continually addressed to minimise the duration for which a post remains vacant," Minister Heydon said.
"While it is recognised that the timeline associated with the filling of vacancies can vary, it is important to highlight that vacancies which take longer to fill are reflective of multiple factors, including today’s highly competitive job market.
"I am content that work to fill all vacancies is a permanent feature of my department’s work and assignments are ongoing across all grade streams to ensure the prompt and efficient delivery of services."
Veterinary qualifications
The minister provided a table listing the grades within his department which require veterinary qualifications, along with the number of officers serving within each of these grades and the number of vacancies within each of these grades.
The information reflects the position as of February 9, 2026, the minister said.
| Posts requiring vet qualifications | Officers serving | Vacancies |
| Chief veterinary officer | 1 | |
| Deputy chief veterinary officer | 2 | |
| Research officer | 24 | 2 |
| Senior research officer | 15 | 2 |
| Senior superintending veterinary inspector | 11 | |
| Superintending senior research officer | 6 | |
| Superintending veterinary inspector | 52 | 3 |
| Veterinary inspector | 308 | 10 |
Minister Heydon added: "Further assignments are underway with commencement dates pending in the coming weeks which will impact the information being provided."
