Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
864. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full year cost of providing for a scheme to address financial barriers to graduate entry medicine for 100 places. [35138/23]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware that the State currently provides supports for broadening access to Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programmes through the part-subsidy of places for EU students, with the fees payable by the student determined by the higher education institution, taking the availability of this subsidy into account.My Department has been working to address the cost of GEM provision by increasing the subsidy paid to higher education institutions for provision of EU places. In this regard, Budget 2023 saw a significant increase in the amount the State pays for medicine places, including graduate entry. As part of this agreement:
• The State contribution for new GEM places is €14,500 for 2022/23; and
• For existing places, the State contribution towards GEM places is gradually being increased. The subsidy has increased from a rate of €11,950 in the 2021/22 academic year to €12,100 per student in the 2022/23 academic year and will progressively increase over the coming years to the new rate of €14,500.
The development of a scheme to provide for GEM tuition fees would require a specific engagement with providers to agree terms and conditions, including funding arrangements and student numbers. In this regard, it is not possible to estimate potential costs associated with introducing a specific scheme to provide for free tuition fees for 100 GEM places outside of a specific engagement with the sector to enter into such an agreement.
