Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The matter of health workforce planning and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of qualified healthcare workers within Ireland is a major priority for my Department.

As the Deputy will be aware, Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions responsible for their own academic affairs including the curriculum and student numbers on individual courses. Where the State seeks to see an increase in student numbers in a particular field of study, a specific engagement with the sector may be undertaken to determine the feasibility of securing the provision of additional places. For example, in March I received recommendations from the HEA in respect of the Expressions of Interest process that sought submissions regarding possible expansion of places in five disciplines – Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary.

The costs incurred by a Higher Education Institution in increasing student places on a particular course can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the individual circumstances of the relevant Higher Education Institution. It is therefore, not possible to definitively calculate the costs sought.

Specifically in relation to health and social care professions, officials from my Department are engaging with Higher Education Institutions to ascertain possible expansion on existing programmes from 2023 (including in the health and social care professions). 420 additional healthcare places, including medicine, nursing; pharmacy; clinical measurement science and therapies will be provided from September 2023.

In addition, the HEA’s next expression of interest process, which will focus on the expansion of places in allied healthcare areas, will take place later this year. My Department continues to engage with the Departments of Health and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to identify those health areas where there are specific skills shortages and to look at options to address such needs.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy may be aware that the State currently provides supports for broadening access to Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programmes through the part-subsidy of places for EU students, with the fees payable by the student determined by the higher education institution, taking the availability of this subsidy into account.

My Department has been working to address the cost of GEM provision by increasing the subsidy paid to higher education institutions for provision of EU places. In this regard, Budget 2023 saw a significant increase in the amount the State pays for medicine places, including graduate entry. As part of this agreement:

• The State contribution for new GEM places is €14,500 for 2022/23; and
• For existing places, the State contribution towards GEM places is gradually being increased. The subsidy has increased from a rate of €11,950 in the 2021/22 academic year to €12,100 per student in the 2022/23 academic year and will progressively increase over the coming years to the new rate of €14,500.

The development of a scheme to provide for GEM tuition fees would require a specific engagement with providers to agree terms and conditions, including funding arrangements and student numbers. In this regard, it is not possible to estimate potential costs associated with introducing a specific scheme to provide for free tuition fees for 100 GEM places outside of a specific engagement with the sector to enter into such an agreement.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The costs incurred by a Higher Education Institution in increasing student places on a particular course can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the individual circumstances of the relevant Higher Education Institution.

For non-EU places in medicine, as the Deputy will be aware, the tuition fee payable by non-EU students are determined by the institution attended. In this regard, it is not appropriate to speculate on potential costs to the State of establishing a scheme to secure such places for EU students outside of a specific engagement with the sector to enter into such an agreement.

The matter of health workforce planning and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of qualified healthcare workers within Ireland is a major priority for my Department. In March, I received recommendations from the HEA in respect of an Expressions of Interest process that sought submissions regarding possible expansion of places in five disciplines – Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary. In June, I announced, along with the Minister for Health and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the findings of this report which has identified options that, with investment, would facilitate the training of substantial additional numbers of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentist and vets.

This increase is subject to a forthcoming process which will now begin to cross-reference available options with the ongoing demand in the health care and veterinary areas and to agree costs and funding. I will continue to engage closely on this matter with Government colleagues to advance the process with investment to be considered in the context of Budgetary processes and the National Development Plan review.