Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1446. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if there will be any increase in the number of graduate entry medicine places for Irish/European Union students in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40301/22]
View answerEnsuring an appropriate pipeline of suitably qualified healthcare professionals is a key priority. 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.
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD and I jointly announced an agreement with the Irish medical schools to increase the number of places available for EU students by 200 over the next five years.
The agreement reached with the medical schools will begin with an additional 60 EU students in September 2022, climbing to 120 in September 2023, and up to 200 by 2026.
The additional places in September 2022 will be distributed across the medical schools as follows:
- NUIG – 11 undergraduate places
- TCD – 11 undergraduate places
- RCSI – 11 undergraduate places
- UCC – 11 undergraduate places
- UCD – 11 undergraduate places
- UL – 5 graduate entry places
