Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department is strongly committed to supporting the well-being of the population through the provision of graduates with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health and education workforce, and support a range of public services, including nursing.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, Higher Education Institutions are autonomous including in relation to the design and structure of the programmes they offer. This is an important safeguard of quality. The programmes put in place and delivered by higher education institutions must also conform to regulatory standards required for professional accreditation of their graduate output.

I understand the Deputy has an interest in whether the Innovate for Ireland proposal has any relevance to this matter. The Taoiseach and I recently launched Innovate for Ireland, this is a new partnership between industry and the Government to recruit and retain research talent to Ireland. As such, it would not be a vehicle through which service needs could be met in the manner set out in the question.

My Department and I will continue to engage to ensure that we can continue to deliver graduates with the skills necessary to support our healthcare system and support the strategic workforce planning by the health sector including in relation to managing backlogs.