Officials from my Department have been regularly engaging with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to ascertain possible expansion on existing programmes from 2023, including in the health and social care professions. The HEIs have identified a range of places and the Department of Health have recently given a written commitment to this Department as to the availability of the corresponding clinical placements required to provide these places.
In total the HEIs have identified 355 additional places for 2023 as outlined in the table below:
|
Discipline
|
Number of additional Places in Irish HEIs
|
|
Clinical Measurement Science
|
32
|
|
Medical Science
|
20
|
|
Nursing
|
208
|
|
Occupational Therapist
|
24
|
|
Pharmacy
|
15
|
|
Physiotherapy
|
6
|
|
Podiatrist
|
25
|
|
Radiation Therapy
|
5
|
|
Speech and Language Therapist
|
20
|
|
Total
|
355
|
These are in addition to the scheduled expansion of 60 places in medicine for 2023, as agreed last year.
Following engagement between Queens University and Ulster University, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and the Departments of Health both North and South, 200 places in nursing will be made available to students from the Republic of Ireland to be funded by?the Department of Health. It is proposed that the students would avail of these places on the same terms and conditions as other students on the programmes.
A further 50 places will be available in therapy disciplines in Ulster University – 20 places in occupational therapy and physiotherapy, and 10 places in speech and language therapy. The places in Northern Ireland have been secured on a one-year basis.
In June of this year, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD and Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue TD announced a number of options to expand third level places for healthcare and veterinary medicine. The Higher Education Authority process found that, with investment, an additional 208 doctors, 692 nurses, 196 pharmacists, 63 dentists and 230 vets could potentially be trained annually. This expansion is being considered in the context of Budgetary Processes and the National Development Plan review.
A similar process is expected to be conducted with regard to the therapy disciplines later this year.
