asked the Minister for Education the amount of money made available to the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland; the total number of students in the RCSI; the number of students in that college who were born in the Twenty-six Counties; what is the average annual fee payable per student; what is the average subsidy per student; and what would his Department estimate it would cost per year to give a subsidy similar to UCD and TCD medical schools.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - College of Surgeons.
43.
The total annual grant now being paid to the Royal College of Surgeons is £13,000. There are at present 662 students in the college. The average amount of grant per student is accordingly £18. However, in the context of the full economic fee being charged to many of the students in the college this figure has no relevance. The total grants to the universities average over £400 per student.
Of the total number of students in the Royal College of Surgeons 133 were born in the Twenty-six Counties. The annual fees being charged in the college are £450 for students from developed countries, £300 for students from developing countries and £145 10s for students from the Twenty-six Counties.
Arising from the fact that one-sixth of the students from the Royal College of Surgeons are from the Twenty-six Counties is the Minister not aware that there is great difficulty being experienced by Irish students who have the leaving certificate in obtaining places in Irish medical schools? It would not cost all that much if the Minister were to subsidise the Royal College of Surgeons on a basis similar to the other medical schools in Dublin. It is a disgrace that in this city students from developed countries should in fact have to subsidise Irish students.
As I explained to the Deputy the information given to me in November last was that no Irish student who wished to enter was refused admission to the Royal College of Surgeons.
Would the Minister not agree that the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is serving a very useful purpose by assisting students from developing countries who have made this college in Ireland a college of international fame?
I will accept that.
Is the Minister aware that students from developed countries are in fact subsidising Irish students in the Royal College of Surgeons?
I am aware that students from developed countries are paying economic fees.
They are subsidising Irish students attending the college.
Is the Minister aware that the Government of Norway are paying £100,000 a year to the College of Surgeons here in order not to set up a second medical school in Norway? They consider it better value to subsidise the Royal College of Surgeons here.
That is very much to the credit of the Royal College of Surgeons.
If our Government are not subsidising the Royal College of Surgeons another Government are.
We are subsidising various other medical schools.