Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 109: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she has reviewed the recent performance of the Health Professions Admission Test used for entry into medicine courses in universities here; her views on the observation that in 2009 successful entry was open to those in the 54th percentile while in 2010, this jumped to the 67th percentile; if she will respond to allegations that the test is open to manipulation by attending grind schools and advanced study; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33493/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The selection criteria and process for admission to medical schools is a matter for the medical schools and universities in line with their statutory autonomy in academic affairs.

The new entry process for admission to medical schools was introduced on foot of a recommendation of the Fottrell working group on undergraduate medical education and training that entry to undergraduate medical education programmes should not be exclusively determined by reference to leaving certificate performance. The report of the Fottrell working group had been endorsed by the Government in 2006 to form the basis for a programme of reform and expansion of medical education and training. The new mechanism which was introduced by the medical schools in 2009 is based on a combination of leaving certificate results and performance in an independent admissions test, HPAT, designed to measure students' problem solving, understanding and reasoning skills.

A research group comprising representation from the Council of Deans of Faculties with Medical Schools of Ireland, admission officers, the Central Applications Office, Irish medical education experts and international advisers has been established for the purpose of ongoing evaluation of the new entry process. The work of this group will also inform a review of the new entry mechanism which will be undertaken within three years of its introduction. I have been informed that the research group is examining the performance of candidates in 2009 and 2010 and in particular the performance of candidates who sat HPAT for the second time in 2010. I am informed that the analysis of these results is ongoing but is expected to be completed shortly and will be made publicly available.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The HPAT is one centred on a multiplicity of questions designed to assess a person's overall suitability for medicine. It is not an academic measurement of study, learning and memory. However, the limited evidence on the basis of two examination years would show that the threshold has jumped and that those who benefited most in the second year of the test — this year — are those who had repeated the HPAT. In many cases they had paid a considerable amount of money for grinds in advance of sitting the test, which is run by a private company. While I take it that the Department is reviewing the situation, will the Minister of State ensure that the test should only be allowed to be taken once because the personality and suitability of a student will not differ dramatically between one year and another. The limited evidence based on two sets of results would seem to suggest that those who repeat a HPAT are effectively getting an inbuilt advantage, which was not the purpose of the test in the first instance.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The system we now have is an improvement on what existed previously when students had to get 600 leaving certificate points in order to study medicine. It was the universal view that in many cases the wrong people were getting through the system.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Does the Minister of State mean there were too many girls getting into medicine?

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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That does not really enter into this.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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What about the gender profile provided by the consultants?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Please allow the Minister of State to reply.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The objective had nothing to do with that. It was to ensure a rounded spread of individuals. Deputy Quinn is looking at me in disbelief but we are not necessarily disagreeing on this.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Yet the Minister of State used the term "the wrong people".

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Please allow the Minister of State to continue.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I meant in certain cases. We cannot draw conclusions after only two years of this system being in operation. The position will be reviewed. I referred earlier to the different people who will ensure this is the case. This work is ongoing and there will be a definite review after three years of its operation. It is too soon to draw conclusions.

Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am concerned about the grinds schools emerging to cater for this area. There is a school of thought that this system was designed to ensure a greater intake of male students into medicine. Does the Minister of State have any figures on the breakdown of males and females getting into medicine?

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not have the figures available to me at hand but they will be available from the ongoing review and the results will be published shortly.