Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020
614. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students accepted to study medicine here from 2008 to 2020; the number that came through the CAO application system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24860/20]
View answerThe Higher Education Authority (HEA) is responsible for collecting, analysing and disseminating student and graduate data from all HEA-funded higher education institutions (HEIs). Data for the number of students enrolled in medicine courses for the academic period 2007/2008 to 2018/2019 is attached.
Data in relation to enrolments in the 2019/2020 academic year is currently being returned by institutions to the HEA for collation and audit. This process has been delayed due to the impact of COVID-19. The data will be published on the HEA's website: www.hea.ie when available.
HEIs are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including admissions procedures. The CAO is a company established by HEIs to process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf. Decisions on admissions, including the number of places offered, are made by the HEIs who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Therefore, the application, offer and acceptance data is held by the CAO, not by my Department, and so the data requested by the Deputy in this regard cannot be provided.
An annual quota applies to the intake of EU students to medical education in the State. Thereafter, the number of places allocated to non-EU students is a matter for the individual HEI concerned with the availability of clinical placements being an important factor in this regard.
