Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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63. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for further detail on the new 1,100 course places being provided under Budget 2026 in key health and social care professions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54994/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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As part of Budget 2026, I am allocating €23.5 million, rising to €28.5 million when the €5 million vote transfer from the Department of Health is included, to significantly expand training capacity in key health and social care professions. This investment will support the creation of over 1,100 additional course places across medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and allied health disciplines in 2025 and 2026.

This expansion is a strategic response to the urgent workforce needs in our health, disability, and education sectors. It includes:

• 463 additional places in health and social care disciplines such as therapy disciplines, dietetics, radiography, and radiation therapy.
• 35 places in dentistry, 161 in pharmacy, and 80 in veterinary medicine, through new programmes launched or launching in institutions such as RCSI, ATU, SETU, and the University of Galway.
• More than 300 places in nursing and medicine, including new medical programmes in the University of Galway and University of Limerick.
• Continued support for over 100 places in nursing and medicine in Northern Irish institutions for students from the Republic of Ireland.