Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when she expects to make a decision on the provision of postgraduate medical courses in universities here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25919/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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On the 1 February 2006 the Tánaiste and I published the report of the Fottrell Working Group on Undergraduate Medical Education and Training. In addition the Tánaiste published the report of the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Group. These reports represent the most significant review of medical education and training ever undertaken in Ireland and are aimed at responding to the needs of a changing health system and ensuring that medical education in Ireland is sufficiently resourced and developed to maintain our reputation for producing quality doctors into the future.

In relation to medical education, I am increasing the annual number of undergraduate places for Irish and EU students from 305 to 485. I am also introducing a separate graduate entry stream which will provide 240 additional places per annum. These developments will increase the annual number of Irish and EU medical places from 305 to 725.

It is anticipated that the Higher Education Authority will shortly issue a competitive call for proposals to provide the new graduate entry programme, with a view to additional places being provided on this programme from 2007. The provision of a graduate entry stream is an important development in reducing pressures on aspiring medical students who until now have effectively had one chance of entry, based on their Leaving Certificate performance.

Graduate entry, which will be open to graduates of all disciplines, will allow students to make a decision to enter medicine at a more mature age and should result in a more diverse range of entrants into the profession.