Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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268. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of social care students enrolled in each year of their course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17731/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy is available in the attached spreadsheet. The data given is from the 2019/20 academic year, the latest available.

The data on the year of study is taken as given by the Higher Education Institutions in their statistical returns to the HEA. In some instances HEIs categorise postgraduate students as being in their fifth or sixth year of study, while in other cases theses students may be categorised as being first or second year students. I have met with Tusla in recent months about how we can increase the number of social care places in our higher education institutions.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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269. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a full list of all publicly-funded higher education institutions and courses which are restricted or limited to independently determining the number of students they enrol for undergraduate and or postgraduate courses, such as teacher training; the limit set for each course or subject; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17775/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department and therefore cannot be provided.

There are a number of external constraints which may place limits on the number of students that a HEI can enroll in a given course. In a course where a clinical or other work placement forms a necessary part of the learning experience, the capacity to provide such placements may limit the number of students that can be enrolled. Other constraints include the need for specialised environments such as laboratories or workshops and the need to maintain student-staff ratios.