Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter regarding the availability of dental training places, which I will take on behalf of the Minister.

This Government is firmly committed to ensuring our healthcare system is supported by a steady and sustainable pipeline of highly skilled graduates. The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Health, the Higher Education Authority, HEA, and higher education institutions, HEIs, plays a central role in delivering the education and training infrastructure needed to meet the evolving demands of the healthcare workforce, including in critical areas such as oral healthcare and dentistry. Ensuring adequate capacity to train future dentists is part of our broader commitment to workforce planning that supports the health and well-being of our population.

Until this year, approximately 60 places were available each year to Irish and EU students on dentistry courses. The Department recognises that this represents a limited training pipeline at a time when the demand for oral healthcare, both clinical and preventative, is increasing nationally. The number of places offered is a matter for the higher education institutions, in line with their autonomy. However, I acknowledge that due to a high level of practical work, there can be material constraints on the number of students that can be accepted onto dentistry courses. While the Department does not set quotas for student places, we work closely with the Department of Health and the HEA to explore how capacity can be sustainably expanded in key health disciplines, including dentistry.

In 2023, the HEA carried out a targeted capacity expansion exercise across priority healthcare areas. One key outcome was the establishment of new dentistry programmes, including a new bachelor of dental surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, commencing in 2025. This new programme will follow a community-based model of dental education and will provide at least 20 new dentistry places per annum for Irish and EEA students, significantly enhancing national training capacity. This expansion represents a landmark 33% increase in student intake and clearly demonstrates the Department’s and this Government’s firm commitment to strengthening the oral healthcare workforce and supplying the graduates needed for a modern, accessible health system. I reaffirm the Department’s commitment to working with all relevant stakeholders to ensure any future expansion of dental education is grounded in evidence, responds to national needs and is delivered in a sustainable manner.

It is my understanding that the Department of Health is conducting a scoping exercise to support a skills assessment workforce census across the oral healthcare sector. This will form the foundation for future policy and programme development. The Department stands ready to work with HEIs and the Department of Health to ensure any changes to professional scope are matched with appropriate and high-quality educational provision. I have been informed that the Department of Health is also examining the feasibility of a new mid-level oral health professional grade. The outcomes of this work, which is due to be published shortly, may have further implications for the number and type of training places needed in the coming years across oral healthcare.

See this speech in context