Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 210: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the graduate entry medical training scheme will commence in the next academic year. [37225/06]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if the graduate entry doctor training scheme will be subsidised; and the extent to which it will be subsidised. [37226/06]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the anticipated cost per annum to students entering the planned graduate entry doctor training scheme. [37227/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 210 to 212, inclusive, together.

On the 1 February 2006 the Minister for Health and Children and I published the report of the Fottrell Working Group on Undergraduate Medical Education and Training. Among the recommendations of the Fottrell Group was that a graduate stream of entry to medicine be introduced and that all graduates of honours Bachelor degree programmes should be eligible to apply.

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.

It has been decided that graduate entry will be open to graduates of all disciplines. 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. This 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.

No decisions have been made on the level of tuition fees for the graduate programme as this will form part of the overall outcome of the competitive call for proposals. The cost of the programme to the State will also be part of this process.