The information requested has been sourced by the HEA and is in the document attached.
My Department continues to prioritise the strategic expansion of places across high-demand healthcare and science-based disciplines, including Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmaceuticals and the Life Sciences. This expansion is being progressed in line with national workforce planning and the skills required to support the health system, as well as agricultural and wider bio-pharmaceutical sector.
In Medicine, implementation of the 2022 agreement with the medical schools is ongoing and will deliver 200 additional EU medicine places by 2026. Approximately 180 of these places have already been created to date. Further expansion will occur in 2026 with the introduction of a new Graduate Entry Medicine programme at the University of Galway and a new undergraduate medicine programme at the University of Limerick.
Significant progress is also being made in Dentistry. From September 2025, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland will introduce a new Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme, providing at least 20 additional places annually for Irish and EEA students—representing an increase of one-third in national capacity. RCSI is developing further proposals for expansion and discussions are also underway with University College Cork regarding potential increases to its intake.
In relation to Veterinary Medicine, currently there are approximately 90 places provided on UCD’s direct entry programme each year and this figure has remained consistent over recent years. In excess of 90% of these places are taken up by Irish/EU students. UCD also run a graduate entry veterinary medicine programme targeted predominantly at non-EU students.
Government approval was granted in October 2025 for the capital programme underpinning the Veterinary Places Activation Programme. This will see two new veterinary schools established at South East Technological University and Atlantic Technological University. Together, these schools will provide 80 new places annually from 2026 for students, significantly strengthening national veterinary training capacity in the country.
All of these measures reflect the Government’s continuing commitment to ensuring a sustainable pipeline of skilled healthcare and science professionals to meet future population and service needs.
Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary and Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences Student Places
