The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) received a total of 46 complaints in 2024 - a 17% decrease on the previous year.

But according to the VCI’s Preliminary Investigation Committee (PIC) Report 2024, out of the 46 complaints received by the PIC in 2024, 29 were about a single veterinary practitioner.

The VCI is the statutory body with responsibility for regulating the practice of veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing.

The PIC is a statutory committee and forms part of the disciplinary structure of the VCI.

The largest category of complaints considered by the PIC in 2024 related to the "provision of inadequate veterinary care and treatment to animals".

The report also details that in relation to the complaints received last year, one was about a single veterinary nurse, and 16 of the complaints involved "multiple registered persons".

According to the PIC, it received 44 complaints from members of the public and two from the vet council.

In total, according to the VCI, its PIC considered 50 complaints in 2024. This number includes complaints received in late 2023 and considered in early 2024.

The PIC held 24 meetings in 2024 to consider complaints made by members of the public and by the council of the VCI.

The PIC Report 2024 details that 10 matters were sent forward for "oral hearing" before the Vet Council of Ireland's Fitness to Practise Committee (FTPC) last year.

These included:

According to the VCI's latest annual report for 2024, a total of 11 inquiries in respect of 10 registered persons were heard by the FTPC last year over a total of nine days.

At its meeting on November 2023, the VCI council considered a report from the FTPC in relation to Stephen McGrath (DVM, Curraghaboy, Ballynacargy, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath) which examined in particular how he conducted "tuberculosis test on herds".

In its 2024 annual report the VCI stated that it was alleged that McGrath had "falsely declared on his registration application form and annual renewal form that he had not been convicted of an offence".

The VCI report outlined: "It was also alleged that he had not complied with the conditions set out in Form ER4 under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM) Bovine Tuberculosis and Brucellosis Eradication Programmes, failed to test adequately or at all one or more animals when conducting tuberculosis test on herds, recording tag numbers and skin measurements for one or more animals in a tuberculosis test when they had not been tested adequately or at all, recording that one or more animals had been tested when they had not been tested adequately or at all, and certifying to DAFM that he had completed the tuberculosis test as required".

The FTPC made "findings of professional misconduct in respect of the proven allegations" and the council directed that McGrath "be suspended for a period of twelve months in relation to his professional misconduct".