The Programme for Government commits the Department of Health to working with the education sectors, regulators, and professional bodies to improve the availability of health professionals and reform their training to support integrated care across the entire health service. My Department is strongly committed to supporting the health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce, and support a range of clinical teams in our health services. My officials are actively engaging with the Department of Health on determining the longer term skills needs of the healthcare services, and the role which the further and higher education sector can play in meeting those skills needs.
Notwithstanding the above Higher education institution are autonomous bodies as set out in legislation, as such the management of the academic affairs, including the curriculum and instruction and education provided are generally matters for the relevant HEI.
My Department allocates funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to designated HEIs. The HEA provides block grant funding to the Higher Education Sector through the Recurrent Grant Allocation Model (RGAM), which is driven by student numbers. The grant is allocated as a block grant and the internal allocation is a matter for each institution. The RGAM core funding is exclusive of fees.
As referenced in the Deputy's question TU Dublin (formerly DIT) provides a 4-year honours degree (NFQ level 8) programme BSc (Hons) in Optometry (DT224). Within the HEA's RGAM students on the TU Dublin Optometry programme are weighted in the laboratory category and this weighted number is included in the annual core funding.
In its student record submission to the HEA for 2021 funding, TU Dublin reported 86.25 Full Time Equivalents students registered on DT224 programme. The laboratory weighting of 1.7 applies. The standard unit of resource in the 2021 grant was €3,344 in the Technological sector and thus TU Dublin were allocated core funding in respect of the Bachelor of Science (Hons) Optometry as follows:
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-
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Total FTE equivalent students
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Weighting
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Total Weighted Students
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Technological sector Standard Resource 2021
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Total Funding Included in core RGAM grant
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Bachelor of Science (Hons) Optometry DT224
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86.25
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1.7
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146.625
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€3,344
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€490,314
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It is anticipated that should other publicly funded Higher Education Institution's introduce a similar Optometry course that recurrent funding would be provided on a similar basis to that outlined above with additional funding in respect of free fees eligible students provided. At this time the HEA as confirmed that it has not received such a request.
