Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2023
610. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science can he outline what impact the increase in the state contribution for new places for graduate entry medicine (details supplied) will have on reducing fees in the academic year 2023/24, disaggregated by new entrants, second year students, third year students, and fourth year students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41099/23]
View answerIn considering the matters raised it is important to note that the total level of fees charged to Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) students is a matter for the higher education institutions (HEIs), consistent with the principle of their institutional autonomy.The State contribution under reference is a funding subsidy provided, via the HEA, to HEIs towards the cost of provision for EU student places. The tuition fees payable by the student are determined by the HEIs taking the availability of this cost of provision 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. 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 was set at €14,500 for 2022/23.
• For existing places, it was agreed that the State contribution towards GEM places would be gradually increased. The subsidy has already 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 fees payable by the student will continue to be determined by the institution attended. It is appreciated that students may be disappointed that the increased investment by the State, to improve sustainable provision of EU student places, has not reduced year on year costs for students. The engagement with the sector intended to improve sustainable provision of EU places, increase places overall and reduce reliance of cross subsidisation of costs through International students fees.
The subsidy provides support for broadening access to GEM programmes by assisting HEIs in providing the courses at lower fee rates for EU students than would otherwise be required for the HEIs to offer the courses on a sustainable basis. In this regard all EU GEM students across academic years benefit under the arrangements.
Student number data for 2023/24 is not yet available, in 2022/23 there were 931 GEM EU student places supported by the funding subsidy as follows; 240 in year 1; 246 in year 2; 224 in year 3 and 221 in year 4.
In addition the adjusted subsidy rate was an important component of reaching agreement with the medical schools to increase places medicine places for EU students. The agreement reached with the medical schools led to an increase of 60 places in September 2022, climbing to 120 in September 2023, and up to 200 by 2026. This agreement includes Graduate Entry Medicine additional places. To date an additional 10 graduate entry places, 5 in 2022 and another 5 in 2023 have been created, with further additional places planned up to 2026.
