James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

882. To ask the Minister for Health if provisions are in place for medical students studying abroad who are returning home due to Covid-19 to complete their practical training within the medical system here (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26819/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Medical students studying abroad who meet the criteria are eligible to apply for internship in Ireland following completion of their medical training. Stage 1 of the Application process for the July 2021 Intern Intake will open on Friday 23 October 2020.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

883. To ask the Minister for Health if there will be an increase in medical school places here to encourage those studying abroad (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26820/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Universities are autonomous institutions under the Universities Act 1997, and the management of their academic affairs, including in relation to admissions, is a matter for each individual institution. Therefore, admission to medicine programmes is a matter for the Schools of Medicine in the relevant universities.

The Department of Health has no role in relation to determining admission to these programmes. However, the Deputy may wish to note that in 2020 the Government funded an extra 2,225 higher education places on high-demand courses in areas such as medicine, nursing, law and business, on a once-off basis in order to help mitigate the impact of the changes to the Leaving Certificate brought about as a result of the global pandemic. An additional 16 places were provided in medicine.

The Programme for Government Our Shared Future commits to establishing a Workforce Planning Expert Unit to work with the education sectors, regulators, and professional bodies to improve the availability of health professionals and reform their training to support integrated care across the entire health service. This is particularly relevant in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic.

A new Strategic Workforce Planning Unit has recently been established within the Department of Health. The initial work of the Unit will focus on measures to address staffing shortages in critical healthcare areas and looking at the impact the COVID 19 pandemic is having on staffing resources across the entire health system. Effective short, medium, and long-term workforce planning will be vital to ensure that the introduction of new models of care envisaged in Sláintecare are planned and managed effectively from a health workforce perspective.