Written Answers Nos. 603-611
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% |
604. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department plans to engage staff from the private sector who work in accountancy and corporate law firms to work in his Department during the course of the upcoming EU Presidency term; the terms under which such staff will be engaged; the number of staff his Department plans to hire; the measures planned to guard against potential conflicts of interest between his Department and parent companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18087/26]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that my Department does not currently intend to engage staff from accountancy or corporate law firms to work in my Department, during Ireland’s upcoming EU Presidency.
605. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps being taken to streamline assessment processes, given the growing number of tertiary agreements being further education and training institutes and universities put in place through the Tertiary Office, to allow colleges and universities to observe the quality of the work being submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18105/26]
View answerTertiary Degrees are co-designed and co-delivered by the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to provide seamless pathways from Further Education to Higher Education. ETB and HEI partners collaborate in the design and validation of the degree programme, including assessments and requirements for progression.
Tertiary degree pathways offer step-back awards wherein, upon completing their studies in the ETB, they receive an NFQ Level 5 Award validated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), before progressing on to complete their undergraduate degree in the HEI.
Assessments which take place in the ETB component of a Tertiary Degree are in line with ETB assessments, while assessments which take place in higher education setting are in line with higher education assessments.
HEIs do not review the quality of work submitted during the ETB component, nor is any review by the HEI required for the student progression from the ETB to the HEI. Tertiary Degrees by their nature are designed to allow students to seamlessly progress from the ETB setting to the HEI setting, once they have passed the assessments in the ETB.
606. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of tertiary agreements being put in place through the Tertiary Office, set out by ETB area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18106/26]
View answerThe National Tertiary Office supports the development of strategic alliances between Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and Higher Education Institutions across the country to deliver tertiary programmes.
The current strategic alliances include:
Dublin and Wicklow Strategic Alliance:• City of Dublin ETB, Kildare and Wicklow ETB, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire ETB, with the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), the National College of Ireland, and Technological University Dublin, with the addition of University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin.
Southern Strategic Alliance:• Cork ETB and Kerry ETB, with University College Cork and Munster Technological University.
Atlantic-Border Region Strategic Alliance:• Donegal ETB, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB, Galway and Roscommon ETB, and Cavan and Monaghan ETB, with Atlantic Technological University.
South-East Strategic Alliance:• Laois and Offaly ETB, Kilkenny and Carlow ETB, and Waterford and Wexford ETB, with South East Technological University.
Limerick/Tipperary Strategic Alliance:• Limerick and Clare ETB, Tipperary ETB, and now Longford and Westmeath ETB, with Technological University of the Shannon.
New 2025 Strategic Partnership:• Cavan and Monaghan ETB and Louth and Meath ETB, with Dundalk Institute of Technology.
In relation to these strategic alliances, the following new partners are joining this year: Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and Longford and Westmeath ETB. They will be included in the strategic alliances going forward, which may change the composition of these partnerships over time.
Cross-collaborations across Higher Education Institutions and Education and Training Boards is a very positive development, and is essential for this Department's aim of expanding diverse and flexible pathways in areas of regional skills needs.
607. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of audiologists graduating annually; the number recruited into HSE posts in each of the past five years; and whether training capacity will be expanded to meet rising demand. [18187/26]
View answerI understand the challenges faced across our health and disability services in securing an adequate supply of qualified audiologists, and the impact this has on both staff and service users. Ensuring sustainable workforce provision across all Health and Social Care Professions remains a core priority for my Department and for Government.
With regard to the supply of graduates, clinical audiology training in Ireland is delivered through the two-year full-time MSc in Audiology at University College Cork. This is the designated professional route recognised by the HSE. Since 2021, the programme has produced ten graduates each year, according to data provided by the Higher Education Authority.
In relation to HSE recruitment, the Department of Health has informed me that there has been a significant strengthening of the audiology workforce in recent years. Between December 2019 and January 2026, the number of whole-time equivalent audiologists employed by the HSE has increased from 66 WTEs to 104 WTEs - an increase of 38 WTEs.
More broadly, the Government has already undertaken the most substantial expansion of Health and Social Care Profession training places in many years. Since 2023, training capacity across these disciplines has grown by 61%, including the creation of 460 additional places in 2025 through the last Higher Education Authority Expression of Interest process.
However, clinical placement capacity remains the key constraint in further expanding therapy and HSCP programmes, including audiology. The HEA has now completed a national mapping exercise of placement availability in collaboration with the HSE, which is directly informing future expansion planning.
I want to emphasise that my Department and the HEA are preparing to launch a new Expression of Interest (EOI) in 2026. This process will support further growth in key disciplines, including those relevant to disability and community services. Audiology has been identified as one of the key areas for possible expansion.
This work is being carried out on a cross-Government basis involving DFHERIS, the Department of Health, the HSE and the HEA, ensuring that education provision aligns with workforce demand, including in disability services, community supports, and the Education Therapy Service.
My Department will continue to work closely with all partners to ensure that future training capacity, whether in audiology or in other therapy and HSCP disciplines, supports the delivery of sustainable, high-quality services across the country.
608. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if his Department plans to engage staff from the private sector who work in accountancy and corporate law firms to work in his Department during the course of the upcoming EU Presidency term; the terms under which such staff will be engaged; the number of staff his Department plans to hire; the measures planned to guard against potential conflicts of interest between his Department and parent companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18092/26]
View answerMy Department will be delivering its work for the EU Presidency using its existing staff cohort. There are currently has no plans to engage staff from the private sector who work in accountancy and corporate law firms, to work in the Department, during the course of the upcoming EU Presidency term.
609. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to reintroduce Gaeltacht grants for roads in Gaeltacht areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18108/26]
View answerThe current Programme for Government includes a commitment to bring back Scéim na mBóithre Áise during the term of this Government. The mechanism and approach to reinstating this scheme are currently being explored by officials in my Department. In the meantime, funding is available under my Department’s Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) to assist local authorities in carrying out improvement works on non-public roads and roads not normally publicly maintained. I announced in August 2025 that I had approved additional funding of €14m for this scheme to carry out upgrading works on rural roads across the country, including Gaeltacht areas. This brought my Department’s investment in this particular scheme to €30m in 2025. I also recently announced the opening of the 2026 Local Improvement Scheme which will provide €17.55 million for repairs and improvement works on non-public rural roads and laneways under the scheme.
Further information on the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is available on my Department’s website.
610. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to introduce housing incentives for Irish language speakers to live in Gaeltacht regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18109/26]
View answerThe Deputy should be aware that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the local authorities are primarily responsible for planning and housing matters in Gaeltacht areas and that both my own Department and Údarás na Gaeltachta have only a secondary role in this context. That said, the provision of housing for those living and working in Gaeltacht areas is an extremely important issue for me as Minister.
Over the past number of years there has been a great deal of ongoing contact between my own Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding planning and the provision of housing in Gaeltacht areas. The Government's recently published housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, commits to publishing a National Planning Statement for the Gaeltacht in the first half of 2027 and to examining the feasibility of Údarás na Gaeltachta, working with Uisce Éireann and local authorities, to support housing provision for Irish speaking communities.
On a related matter, figures provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and further statistics available from the CSO show positive outcomes in the areas of overall planning applications in counties in which Gaeltacht areas are situated and in relation to the uptake of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant in specific Gaeltacht areas. As regards the latter, there were 302 applications approved under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme in 2024/2025 in specific Gaeltacht areas. The breakdown is as follows:
CORK 15
DONEGAL 152
GALWAY 70
KERRY 32
MAYO 27
MEATH 1
WATERFORD 5
Comparing successful planning applications in counties in which there are Gaeltacht areas for the first three quarters of 2024 and 2025 (final figures for 2025 are not yet available), it is apparent that there is progress in this space also. Kerry for example saw an increase of 18 successful planning applications going from 48 to 66 in that period. Cork saw an increase of 21, while Donegal saw an increase of 23.
The Deputy may be aware that my Department previously administered housing schemes under the Housing (Gaeltacht) Acts but that these schemes were suspended a number of years ago. The Government has since established a number of new schemes under which significantly more generous grants are available than those previously available under the Gaeltacht Housing Acts. On this basis, my Department does not intend to re-introduce the grant schemes that existed under the Gaeltacht Housing Acts.
611. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the total amount of funding allocated to respective local authorities in 2023 and in 2024 for all rural schemes provided by his Department (details supplied), including the town and village renewal scheme, CLÁR, LEADER, LIS, outdoor recreation and rural regeneration, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18223/26]
View answerThe details requested by the Deputy regarding funding allocated by my Department to local authorities under rural schemes in 2024 are outlined in the attached table, noting that details regarding funding allocated in 2023 are included in the response issued on 17 January 2024 (ref. Dáil PQ 1876 / 1946/24).
The table attached sets out a breakdown of funding allocated to respective local authorities in 2024 in respect of the following rural schemes:
• Town & Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS)
• LEADER
• CLÁR
• Local Improvement Scheme (LIS)
• Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS)
• Community Recognition Fund
• Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF)
Information has also been provided in respect of LEADER, but it is important to clarify that LEADER funding is allocated to Local Action Groups on a programme basis and not to local authorities. In addition, it is allocated on a multi-annual basis for the entirety of the 2023-2027 programme, and therefore the 2024 figures provided relate to approval of projects at local level by Local Action groups, rather than allocations made by the Department. The level of such approvals will naturally vary between areas and years given the structure of the LEADER programme. Funding is drawn down by LAGs as these approved projects progress to completion across the programming period.
Given the structure and timing of the schemes in question, allocations made in 2024 and reported in the table may not include all the allocations from a single iteration of a scheme. Further detail in this regard is set out in the explanatory notes to the attached table.
Details in relation to all projects allocated funding across schemes are available on my department’s website.
*TVRS - The funding allocated in 2024 and set out in the table relates to the ‘Main Scheme’ projects approved for funding under the 2023 Town and Village Renewal Scheme. The scheme was launched on 21 July 2023 and applications had to be submitted to the Department by 10 November 2023. A competitive assessment of all applications followed and the successful projects were announced on 29 April 2024 therefore the allocations in respect of the 2023 Main Scheme were made in 2024.
**RRDF - It should be noted that projects which emerge as successful from calls for applications to the Fund are initially approved for funding in principle. In line with the Infrastructure Guidelines for capital projects, they then progress through a further comprehensive approval process before the final confirmation of funding is provided by my Department post the ‘main tender for works’. At each stage of this approval process, the project is reviewed by my Department to ensure it continues to meet its stated objectives, including financial sustainability.
***CLÁR - The funding to local authorities in 2024 under the CLÁR Programme related to the second tranche of allocations under Measure 1 of the 2023 Programme and all of measure 1 from the 2024 programme.
****ORIS - Funding of €18.35 million was provided to local authorities in 2024 under measures 1, 2 and 3 of the 2023 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.
*****CRF – Funding of €50m was allocated to local authorities in 2024 under the second iteration of the Community Recognition Fund based on the number of new arrivals hosted in each local authority area.
******LEADER - It is important to clarify that LEADER funding is not allocated to the local authorities, and is not allocated on an annual basis. For the 2023-2027 LEADER programme, funding was allocated in advance to the Local Action Group (LAG) in each sub-regional areas across the country, and each LAG is then responsible for selecting and awarding LEADER funding to projects within their geographical area. In general, these sub-regional areas are aligned to the administrative county boundaries, except in the case of Dublin and Cork. When viewing these figures, it should be noted that the timing of when LAGs approve projects from within their overall 2023-2027 allocation can vary significantly depending on factors such as the timing of when LAGs were set up, the timing of their engagement with potential applicants to develop applications, etc.
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