Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 April 2024
142. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if he will amend the internship placement allocation to allow Irish graduate medical students who trained in Derry or Belfast equal status to other Irish graduate medical students, as this will offer those graduates the opportunity to return to the State as doctors, to continue speciality training here and serve our local communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16838/24]
View answerIrish medical students who graduate from Northern Ireland are eligible to apply for internship in the Republic of Ireland. Under the current application process, all eligible CAO and EEA work permit exempt applicants have been allocated an intern post each year since 2016.
All eligible EU citizens and UK citizens, which include eligible medical students holding Irish citizenship, who have applied for internship in Ireland have received an offer of internship. This has allowed those Irish medical school graduates the opportunity to return to the State as doctors and, following successful completion of internship, continue specialty training in Ireland.
The number of internship posts has been permanently increased since 2021 with the establishment of 145 new intern places. Since 2021 every eligible applicant, both EEA and Non-EEA, who has applied has received an offer of an internship. In 2022 and 2023, despite all eligible candidates receiving an offer of internship, there were vacancies remaining in the intern programme.
My department in consultation with the HSE will review the current policy on intern allocation to ensure that the policy continues to support the development and growth of the medical workforce.
