IE
S.I. No. 577/2020 - Veterinary Council of Ireland Continuing Veterinary Education for Veterinary Practitioners Regulations 2020
Table of Provisions (27)
Statutory Text (27 Articles)
1. The annual requirements to be met by a Practitioner during the CVE Year are as follows
(
a
) A Practitioner must accumulate
(i) A minimum of twenty (20) CVE Credits in respect of the CVE Year; or
(ii) a minimum cumulative total of sixty (60) CVE Credits over the current CVE Year and the preceding two CVE Years;
(
b
) A Practitioner shall be entitled to claim up to a maximum of twelve (12) CVE Credits in respect of a single calendar day, save in respect of (i) an Approved CVE Course under paragraph (c) in relation to which a maximum of twenty-four (24) CVE Credits may be claimed in a single calendar day and (ii) as may otherwise be provided in this Schedule.
(
c
) The following categories of Approved CVE Courses shall be awarded two CVE Credits for each hour
(i) wetlabs;
(ii) practicals; and
(iii) interactive events.
2. Practitioners are entitled to claim the following CVE Credits in respect of Presentation CVE
Type
CVE Credits
First-time lecture to professional audience regarding Veterinary Practice
Seven (7) CVE Credits
First-time one-day presentation to professional audience regarding Veterinary Practice
Up to a maximum of fifteen (15) CVE Credits can be claimed in respect of such a one-day presentation
Presentation to lay audience
Two (2) CVE Credits per presentation up to a maximum of six (6) CVE Credits per CVE Year
3. Practitioners are entitled to claim one (1) CVE Credit per week up to a maximum of four (4) CVE Credits per CVE Year in respect of Student Supervision.
4. Practitioners are entitled to claim up to a maximum of six (6) CVE Credits per CVE Year in respect of Practice Visits.
5. Practitioners are entitled to a claim a maximum of up to three (3) CVE Credits per CVE Year in respect of Organisational CVE, with one (1) CVE Credit to be awarded for attendance (whether in person or otherwise) at an Organisational CVE meeting.
6. Practitioners who are authors of Relevant Written Material are entitled to claim the following CVE Credits in respect of such Relevant Written Material
Type
CVE Credits
First author of peer reviewed paper
Fifteen (15) CVE Credits
Second and subsequent author of peer reviewed paper
Eight (8) CVE Credits
Non-peer reviewed paper / article for press
Two (2) CVE Credits per paper up to a maximum of Six (6) CVE Credits per CVE Year
7. The modified CVE requirements in respect of a Practitioner who falls within Regulation 20(a) or 20(b) shall be as set out in the table below
CVE “pro rata” period
CVE Credits Required
0-3 months
100% of Standard CVE Credits
3-6 months
75% of Standard CVE Credits
6-9 months
50% of Standard CVE Credits
9-12
months Exempt
GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Veterinary Council of Ireland,
4 December, 2020.
JOSEPH MOFFITT,
President.
NIAMH MULDOON,
Registrar.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(
This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation
)
.
These Regulations set out the approval of programmes of further education, the requirements of registered persons under Part 4 of the Act regarding such programmes of further education and the auditing of compliance with such requirements.
These Regulations may be cited as the Veterinary Council of Ireland Continuing Veterinary Education for Veterinary Practitioners Regulations 2020.
These Regulations come into operation on 1
st
January 2021.
8. The Council may, at its discretion, refuse, withdraw or revoke the approval of CVE Courses, whether previously approved or otherwise.
9. CVE Courses must be submitted for approval every CVE year in which they take place.
10. CVE Courses which do not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 shall be notified in writing. Any appeal in respect of any CVE Course not approved shall be made to the Education Committee, whose decision in this regard shall be subject to confirmation by the Council.
11. CVE Providers must provide Practitioners who participate in approved CVE Courses with an appropriate certificate of completion and maintain copies of all documentation used in the delivery of and relevant to Approved CVE Courses for a period of at least five (5) years after completion of the course. Such documentation shall include, but not be limited to, the following
(
a
) Course outline;
(
b
) Timetables and location;
(
c
) Advertisements and presenters’ CVs;
(
d
) Registration and attendance records, including names, addresses and registration numbers of Practitioners.
Part C – CVE Requirements
12. It shall be a condition of registration on the Register, or the continuance of registration on the Register, that Practitioners comply with these CVE Regulations. The annual requirements to be met by a Practitioner in respect of a CVE Year are set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations. Such annual requirements shall (i) require Practitioners to accumulate a minimum number of CVE Credits, as is specified in Schedule 1, to maintain professional competence (including but not limited to any of the matters identified in Schedule 1) and (ii) to otherwise fulfil the requirements of these Regulations.
13. These Regulations apply to each Practitioner in respect of each CVE Year. A Practitioner is entitled to claim CVE Credits in respect of Approved CVE Courses, Independent Study, Organisational CVE, Presentation CVE, Practice Visits, Recognised International CVE, Relevant Written Material and Student Supervision undertaken by him or her in accordance with the requirements of Regulations.
14. A Practitioner who, during the CVE Year, participates in a postgraduate or residency programme leading to a postgraduate degree, masters, doctorate or other appropriate certification in a specialty or academic field related to Veterinary Practice, shall be deemed to have satisfied the CVE requirements of the Regulations in respect of that CVE Year.
15. A Practitioner shall undertake the required CVE in respect of each CVE Year as provided for Schedule 1. However, a Practitioner shall not be entitled to claim
(
a
) more than 25% of the minimum number of credits required by Schedule 1 by way of Management Skills;
(
b
) more than 30% of the minimum number of credits requirement by Schedule 1 by way of Independent Study.
16. A Practitioner to whom these Regulations apply shall be required during each CVE Year to fulfil the following requirements
(
a
) maintain certificates from CVE Providers to verify his or her attendance at Approved CVE Courses; and
(
b
) maintain a written record of CVE Credits completed by him or her which is sufficient to demonstrate compliance with these Regulations; and
(
c
) maintain such certificates and records for a period of five (5) years, or seven (7) years if claiming cumulative CVE Credits, after the end of a CVE Year; and
(
d
) produce such certificates and written records to the Council upon being requested to do so.
17. A Practitioner who makes an application to the Council for the annual renewal of his or her registration on the Register for all or any part of a CVE Year shall, as part of such application, be required to make a declaration to the Council that he or she has accumulated the minimum CVE Credits required during the preceding CVE Year as may be specified in Schedule 1 and otherwise met the requirements of these Regulations.
18. A Practitioner shall verify such declaration referred to in Regulation 17 if so requested by the Council, by production of the written record, certificates of attendance and written verification(s) maintained pursuant to Regulation 16.
Part D – Transitional Arrangements and Modification of CVE Requirements
19. If a Practitioner accumulates in excess of the required CVE Credits during the CVE year 1 August 2019 to 31 December 2020 (pursuant to the 2017 Regulations), he or she may, subject always to the requirements contained in regulation 16, claim such excess as CVE Credits in respect of the CVE Year expiring on 31 December 2021.
20. The requirements of Regulation 12 in respect of the number of CVE Credits to be claimed in a CVE Year are modified in respect of the following categories of Practitioner as set out in Schedule 1
(
a
) A Practitioner who for reasons of maternity and/or parental and/or carer’s and/or adoptive leave, does not practise or ceases to practise as a Practitioner in the course of a CVE Year for a period of more than twelve (12) weeks within any such CVE Year may, on due written certification to the Council of that fact, apply to have his or her requirement to have undertaken CVE during that particular CVE Year reduced;
(
b
) A Practitioner who, for reasons of their illness or medical disability, the illness or medical disability of a family member, or for other substantive reasons, does not practise or ceases to practise as a Practitioner in the course of a CVE Year for a period of more than twelve (12) weeks within any such CVE Year may, on due written certification to the Council of that fact, apply to have his or her requirement to have undertaken CVE during that particular CVE Year reduced;
21. As regards Newly Registered Practitioners (or Practitioners who are restored to the Register), the required CVE Credits shall be reduced, based on the Practitioner’s date of registration or restoration, as follows
CVE “pro rata” period
CVE Credits Required
January – March
100% of Standard CVE Credits
April – June
75% of Standard CVE Credits
July – September
50% of Standard CVE Credits
October – December
Exempt
22. A person applying to be restored on the Register after not being on the Register for a number of CVE Years may be required to undertake a programme of CVE prescribed by the Education Committee, subject to confirmation by the Council.
Part E - Audit
23. The Council may audit Practitioners in respect of their compliance with the requirements of these Regulations for a period of up to five (5) years after the end of a CVE Year.
24. A Practitioner must upon request from the Council submit evidence of his or her compliance with these Regulations. Such evidence shall include (but not be limited to) certificates from CVE Providers to verify his or her attendance at such Approved CVE Courses.
25. Without prejudice to the generality of Regulation 24 and for the purpose of ensuring compliance with these Regulations, the Council may liaise with a Practitioner to investigate any alleged breach by a Practitioner of these Regulations and, to that end, may in respect of the Practitioner concerned
(
a
) seek explanations from the Practitioner;
(
b
) call the Practitioner to a meeting;
(
c
) request him or her to undertake a programme of CVE prescribed by the Education Committee, subject to confirmation by the Council, for a future CVE Year or CVE Years; and/or
(
d
) bring the matter to the attention of the Council, which may apply, pursuant to section 76 of the Act, to the Registrar for an inquiry into the fitness to practise veterinary medicine of the Practitioner.
26. Any breach of these Regulations by a Practitioner or a false declaration made under Regulation 17 may, upon due inquiry by the Fitness to Practise Committee pursuant to the Act, be found to be (i) a breach of regulations made under the Act within the meaning of section 76(d) of the Act, (ii) behaviour which constitutes professional misconduct within the meaning of section 76(10) of the Act and/or (iii) a false or fraudulent declaration or misrepresentation such that his or her registration is erroneous within the meaning of section 76(c) of the Act.
Schedule 1 – Annual Requirements
Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in
“Iris Oifigiúil” of
8
th December,
2020.
The Veterinary Council of Ireland, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by
section 66
and
section 133
of the
Veterinary Practice Act 2005
(No. 22 of 2005), with the consent of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, hereby makes the following regulations:-
Part A – Introduction