Written answers
Tuesday, 23 April 2024
Department of Health
Medical Internships
Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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691. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware of the current anomaly whereby Irish medical students who studied in Northern Ireland are classed as a tier-two applicant for the internship programme in the HSE; if he will commit to reviewing the current process for internship placement allocation so this is no longer the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18089/24]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Irish medical students who graduate from Northern Ireland are eligible to apply for internship in the Republic of Ireland. Under the current application process, all eligible CAO and non-CAO EEA work permit exempt applicants have been allocated an intern post each year since 2016.
All eligible EU citizens and UK citizens who have applied for internship in Ireland have received an offer of internship. This allows Irish graduates from other medical schools the opportunity to return to the State as doctors and, following successful completion of internship, continue specialty training in Ireland.
The number of internship posts has been permanently increased since 2021 with the establishment of 145 new intern places. Since 2021 every eligible applicant, both EEA and Non-EEA, who has applied has received an offer of an internship. In 2022 and 2023, despite all eligible candidates receiving an offer of internship, there were vacancies remaining in the intern programme.
The Department and the HSE will continue to keep the current policy on intern allocation under review to ensure that the policy continues to support the development and growth of the medical workforce.
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