Vol. 535 No. 1
624 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science the proposals he has to provide additional places to pursue pharmacy as a career at other third level colleges here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11670/01]
At present there is an annual intake of 70 students to the State's only school of pharmacy at Trinity College Dublin.
Last August, I announced that the Higher Education Authority would seek proposals from the universities, institutes of technology and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland to provide for an additional output of 50 pharmacy graduates.
I agreed to increasing the annual intake of pharmacy students from 70 to 120, following the publication of the report of the Forum on the Need for Pharmacy Graduates hosted by the Higher Education Authority in May, 2000. This forum considered the study commissioned by the authority on the demand and need for pharmacy graduates undertaken by Peter Bacon and Associates.
The authority sought proposals from the institutions in August, 2000 and a number of submissions were received. I await the recommendations of the authority when its evaluation process is fully completed.
