Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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868. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider enforcing a scheme for Irish citizens training abroad in medicine, where tuition relief would be provided while completing their degree, contingent on a contractual agreement to return and serve in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35461/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The contractual agreement, as described by the Deputy, for medicine students to take up employment within the Irish healthcare workforce after graduation from their medicine training, would need to be made with the employer, in this case the Department of Health and it's agency the HSE.

A similar arrangement was reached with Queens University Belfast for undergraduate medicine places, intake in September 2024 and September 2025, for 50 students. This arrangement was co funded by Department of Health and is contingent on students opting to undertake an internship year in the Irish public health workforce after graduation.

My Department has been working very closely with the Department of Health to increase Medicine training places. In July 2022 a landmark increase in Medicine programmes was jointly announced by both My Department and the Department of Health, increasing Medicine places for EU students by 200, on an incremental basis, up to 2026.

In October 2022, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) ran an expression of interest (EOI) process seeking responses from higher education institutions interested in building capacity in Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary Medicine. EOIs were sought from institutions with the capability to expand existing courses or create new courses in these areas. In 2024 the HEA recommended the progression and development of several projects, including two new Medicine programmes: A Graduate Entry Rural and Remote Medicine Programme in the University of Galway and a direct entry Medicine programme in the University of Limerick. At full roll out it is anticipated this will provide a further 78 student places per annum between both Universities.

I will continue to work with my colleague, the Minister for Health, and our agencies to increase training provision and to provide the skilled graduates to support and enhance our healthcare sector.