Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 80: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will provide details of the proposed direct entry undergraduate midwifery degree programme; when she expects same to commence; the number of students it will accept annually and at which colleges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15819/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Last year I announced plans for the introduction of a new direct entry undergraduate midwifery degree programme to commence in autumn 2006. The direct entry undergraduate midwifery programme will be of four years' duration and will offer 140 places per annum. These places will be in addition to the existing 1,640 places in the system each year for general, psychiatric and intellectual disability nursing. Applications for places on the programme will be through the Central Applications Office, CAO. At present, the only route to midwifery is through a postgraduate programme of two years' duration. The new programme will reduce the time it takes to qualify as a midwife and will put the education of midwives on a par with that of other nurses. Details of the 140 places on the new midwifery nursing degree programme are in the following table.