Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The short answer to the Deputy's final question is, "Yes". It is up to the autonomous institutions to determine their own programmes. We want to create a unified tertiary education system, however, so I would very much welcome proposals that involve further and higher education working together.

As regards workforce planning, there is a level of engagement now that was not present in the past, frankly. We need to do a much better job of planning to meet the public service needs. Although training is only part of this, we must ensure we are training enough people to work in these professions. We made good progress, objectively, in respect of medicine last year. A total of 60 extra medicine places at undergraduate level were provided last year. That was good. There are at least 60 more coming in September. We have agreed a multi-year approach to get to where we need to be on medicine. This year, we must do the same in respect of nursing and therapies. We cannot have a situation where we are not training enough speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists or any of the 26 other professions in which we know there is a chronic need for more people to work. In March next year, the Higher Education Authority, HEA, will ask all institutions to come forward with what they can do in these spaces.

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