Written answers
Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Department of Education and Skills
Third Level Education
Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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1070. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration would be given to his Department engaging with the Department of Health and the HSE with regard to funding the master's programme in University College Cork for radiation therapy, in view that the master's programme in University College Cork is funded for diagnostic radiographers by the HSE, whereby it is more difficult to attract students onto the radiation therapy course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40075/23]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Last year my Department established a working group to identify and address barriers to expansion in the health and social care professions, including radiation therapy. This working group has included representatives from the Department of Health, the HSE, CORU, the higher education sector as well as my Department. This group has looked at both incremental expansion from September 2023, and enabling more substantial expansion in the medium term.
The HSE is developing a Framework for Practice Placement Education. The Department of Health have also recently appointed a HSCP Officer to lead on enabling expansion in health and social care professions.
As the Deputy is aware, the HSE comes under the remit of Minister Donnelly. My understanding from engagements with that Department is that the funding mechanism for the radiography programme in UCC was completed within the South-South West Hospital Group and not at a national level. Students were then sponsored to work in that hospital group.
The majority of graduate entry programmes in the Health & Social Care Profession (HSCP) disciplines are not funded but it is possible that there may be local arrangements to sponsor students like the arrangement in UCC.
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