Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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185. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will work with third-level universities to expand the number of medical training places for students applying through the Central Applications Office system to help increase the number of doctors nationally. [13190/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Higher education institutions are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including admissions procedures. The CAO processes applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on behalf of the HEIs.  Decisions on admissions, including the number of places offered, are made by the HEIs which then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Neither I nor my Department have any role in the operation of the CAO.

However a quota applies to the intake of EU students to medical education. Thereafter, the number of places allocated to non-EU students is a matter for the individual HEI concernedwith the availability of clinical placements being an important factor in this regard.