Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
603. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the percentage of those studying medicine in higher education institutions in the State at present and in each of the past five years who are non-EU students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18058/26]
View answerThe Higher Education Authority has provided data showing that the proportion of non-EU students in undergraduate (direct-entry) Medicine has declined steadily since 2021. Non-EU representation fell from 52.8% in 2021/22 to 48.9% in 2024/25, despite an increase in total places, reflecting the significant expansion of EU/Irish places following the 2022 agreement to increase medical training capacity. At graduate-entry level, the proportion of non-EU students has remained relatively stable, rising from 42.3% in 2021/22 to 46.5% in 2024/25.
In 2026, 20 further medicine places will be added to complete the 200-place expansion agreed in July 2022, while the University of Limerick will introduce its new direct-entry Medicine programme with 30 places, bringing the confirmed increase for 2026 to 50 places. Additional expansion will follow from the University of Galway’s new Rural & Remote Graduate Entry Medicine programme from 2027.
My Department and the Department of Health are also co-funding 50 places for students who entered Queen’s University Belfast in 2024 and 2025, with ongoing engagement with counterparts in Northern Ireland on further expansion across medicine, nursing and allied health.
This medical expansion sits within a broader, sustained increase in healthcare education capacity across the system. New programmes have been introduced in Nursing at Maynooth University, Dentistry at RCSI, Pharmacy at the University of Galway and ATU, and Physiotherapy at ATU. Veterinary Medicine programmes at both SETU and ATU will open in 2026, providing 80 additional places and doubling national training capacity. Pharmacy will also commence in SETU in 2026, adding 36 further places.
This is supported by a €75 million capital programme under Project Ireland 2040 to expand clinical, laboratory and simulation capacity for healthcare training. These expansions, supported by significant capital investment, aim to ensure a long-term, sustainable pipeline of domestically trained healthcare professionals.
Medicine - Direct Entry (Undergraduate)
|
Domicile |
2020/2021 |
2021/2022 |
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
2024/2025 |
|
EU (incl. GB and NI) |
2,570 |
2,550 |
2,620 |
2,755 |
2,865 |
|
Non-EU |
2,715 |
2,855 |
2,880 |
2,730 |
2,740 |
|
All |
5,290 |
5,405 |
5,505 |
5,485 |
5,605 |
|
% Non-EU |
51.32% |
52.82% |
52.32% |
49.77% |
48.88% |
Medicine - Graduate Entry
|
Domicile |
2020/2021 |
2021/2022 |
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
2024/2025 |
|
EU (incl. GB and NI) |
970 |
965 |
975 |
960 |
925 |
|
Non-EU |
725 |
710 |
750 |
775 |
805 |
|
All |
1,700 |
1,680 |
1,725 |
1,735 |
1,730 |
|
% Non-EU |
42.65% |
42.26% |
43.48% |
44.67% |
46.53% |
