Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 234: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she is satisfied with the implementation of the revised requirements for entry to medicine that is the health professions admissions test system; if she has carried of a review of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32013/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The new entry process for admission to medical schools arose from a recommendation of the Working Group on Undergraduate Medical Education & Training (the Fottrell report). This report formed the basis for a programme of reform and expansion of medical education and training in Ireland that was approved by the Government in 2006. Following this a group of representatives from the Medical Schools and University Admissions Offices was established to examine the implementation of revised entry criteria, having regard to the Fottrell recommendation that entry to undergraduate medical education programmes should not be exclusively coupled with Leaving Cert. performance. It was ultimately decided by the medical schools that from 2009 entry to the undergraduate medical programme would be based on combination of Leaving Cert results and performance in an independent admissions test (HPAT) designed to measure students' problem solving, understanding and reasoning skills.

As this is only the second year of operation of the new entry mechanism, it would be premature to seek to form any firm conclusions in relation to its impact. I understand that a research group comprising representation from the Council of Deans of Faculties with Medical Schools of Ireland (CDFMSI), admission officers, the Central Applications Office, Irish medical education experts and international advisers has been convened for the purpose of ongoing evaluation of the entry process. This group will examine the concurrent and predictive validity of the new entry mechanisms as well as the impact on the socio-demographic composition of successful medical school entrants. The work of this group will inform a review of the new mechanism which will be undertaken within 3 years of its introduction.