Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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1656. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a breakdown of third level courses for several roles (details supplied); the number of students that selected these courses as their first preference on their application to the CAO, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29994/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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A table outlining the programmes offered in these areas is attached. With regard to the number of students who selected particular programmes such as psychology, dietetics, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, and social work as their first preference on the CAO system, I must advise that neither I nor my Department has access to programme-level CAO application data. The CAO is an independent, not-for-profit company established by Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to process applications to undergraduate courses. It does not fall under the remit of my Department, and detailed application data is not available to the Department.

Recognising the workforce needs across the health, disability and education sectors, my Department, in partnership with the Department of Health and the HEA, is actively expanding training provision in these areas. A working group has been established which includes my Department, the Department of Health, Department of Children, Disability and Equality, Department of Education and Youth, HSE and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to examine expansion of student places across the higher education sector.

This week I announced that Government had approved the creation of 461 new training places for key Health and Social Care Professions, with up to 320 starting this September across existing programmes in eleven higher education institutions. These places are in nine critical professions including Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Social Work and Dietetics. This significant investment marks the first phase of a broader effort led by the Department of Further and Higher Education and the Higher Education Authority to grow the future workforce in vital areas such as health, disability, and education, especially where demand is most acute.

In addition to expanding traditional higher education provision, we are broadening access through alternative pathways. These include new tertiary degree programmes, launched in 2023, which allow students to begin a degree in Further Education and complete it in Higher Education. Courses in occupational therapy, nursing, and social work are now offered through this route. For 2025, there are 20 tertiary places each in occupational therapy, social work, and social care. An apprenticeship was in social work was launched in 2024, and an apprenticeship in social care work is under development.

Furthermore, to complement the expansion of places within the Republic of Ireland, agreements have been reached with Northern Ireland institutions to fund places for Republic of Ireland students in allied health professions and nursing. In 2023 and 2024, joint funding by my Department and the Department of Health has supported nursing and allied health places at Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy. Discussions are ongoing regarding further intakes in 2025 and beyond.

It is a priority for my Department and across Government for the future expansion of training places in these health disciplines, and we are actively working to increase supply, domestically and through cross-border arrangements, alongside diversification of entry routes, which will be central to meeting both student demand and the country’s future workforce needs in the health and social care sectors.