Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 December 2022
138. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will address the exorbitant costs of graduate entry medicine courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59755/22]
View answerThe fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the student's access route including previous education. Students pursuing Graduate Entry Medicine programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants.
The total level of fees charged to graduate entry medicine students is a matter for the higher education institutions, consistent with the principle of their institutional autonomy, and it is not open to my Department to intervene in the tuition fee policy of the institutions.
However, the State does provide support directly to higher education institutions for Graduate Entry Medicine programmes in order to widen access and assist the students pursuing these programmes. The balance of fees is payable by the student.
In July 2022, Government approved a proposal from my Department and the Department of Health to increase the number of medicine places per annum by 200 by 2026, and move the funding of medicine places to a more sustainable basis. This has included an increase of 60 places in 2022/2023; 55 of these places are on direct entry programmes, and five are Graduate Entry Medicine.
For new Graduate Entry Medicine places, the State contribution will increase to €14,500 (from the current level of €11,950). For existing places, an increase in the State contribution will be phased in to this level.
This measure is designed to strengthen the sustainability of funding of Graduate Entry Medicine places and to increase the number of places on offer to Irish/EU students.
Student undertaking Graduate Entry Medicine courses that experience significant financial hardship may be eligible to apply to the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) for financial support. Students with a previous higher education qualification at the same NFQ level, or who, in the past, attended higher education without ultimately obtaining a qualification, may be considered for support on a case-by-case basis and subject to available funding. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended.
