Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 January 2024
102. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how many new degree programmes will be available outside the Central Applications Office points system for the upcoming academic year; and how many places will be available in each. [1917/24]
View answerEnsuring that learners have options beyond the CAO has been a longstanding priority for me and my department.
As the Deputy will be aware, September 2023 marked the commencement of the new Joint Tertiary Degrees. These programmes see students begin their third level experience in further education, and then progress seamlessly to a higher education institution to complete their fully accredited Level 7 or 8 degree. The programmes have been met with great interest, with students all over the country now enrolled on tertiary programmes in areas like Nursing, Software Development and Business.
The National Tertiary Office issued a call last September for proposals for further tertiary degrees for delivery in September 2024. In addition the continuation of the existing programmes, there will also be a significant expansion of the tertiary degrees on offer. All Education and Training Boards, Technological Universities and Institutes of Technology will be involved in providing tertiary programmes in 2024 and the number of programmes on offer is expected to more than double. The details of the 2024 offering will be announced early this year.
These joint programmes signal that there is more than one route to third level education, and no one pathway is better than another. I am looking forward to seeing these programmes continue to expand this year, both in terms of the courses that will be offered, and the number of learners enrolled.
