Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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198. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the need for an increase in the number of Irish university places for pharmacy. [22519/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government commits the Department of Health to working 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.  My Department is strongly committed to supporting the health of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce, and support a range of clinical teams in our health services. 

My Department does not place a quota on the number of pharmacy places offered by higher education institutions, and as such the number of places provided each year is determined by the institutions themselves in line with their capacity. A number of additional places have been provided in recent years, leading to the highest number of new entrants beginning their studies in 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

My officials are actively engaging with the Department of Health on determining the longer term skills needs of the healthcare services, and the role which the further and higher education sector can play in meeting those skills needs. I will ensure that there is continued engagement with all stakeholders to ensure that we deliver graduates with the skills necessary to support our healthcare system and support the strategic workforce planning by the health sector.