Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1429. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how his Department will facilitate a cohort of students who want to access nursing through the new model (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36074/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, from September of this year, students will be able to enrol in one of 23 degree courses across healthcare, enterprise, ICT and creative sectors, which will see them commencing their studies in a Further Education institution before progressing to a Higher Education institution to complete their fully accredited degree. These new pathways will help students achieve their career goals and offer several advantages including local availability of courses with guaranteed progression and the removal of geographical and financial barriers.
The new programmes were devised by the individual institutions involved, in line with their local context, and entry criteria were jointly determined by the Higher Education Institutions and Educational Training Boards. Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions wand are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs including in relation to admissions.
In the case of the General Nursing programme, it is my understanding that learners who have previously completed a pre-nursing PLC course and achieved the required distinctions are eligible to enter nursing courses directly, and are therefore not eligible for the tertiary programme in nursing.
Places offered as part of the joint tertiary programmes are additional to existing nursing places, and as such those applying through the PLC route will not be impacted or displaced by these new programmes.
I recently announced a significant expansion to the number of places available in nursing courses, with over 200 additional places being created in nursing courses within the State, and a further 200 being made available in Northern Ireland for students from the Republic of Ireland. These places will help ensure that our healthcare services have the staff they need to deliver the care that people need, as well as allowing more students to pursue a career in nursing.
