In recognition of Ireland’s growing population my Department is actively working to support the Department of Health's workforce planning needs through the expansion of higher education provision in essential health services, including dentistry, radiography, radiation therapy, and other allied health professions.
On dentistry, until recently, approximately 60 places per year were available to Irish and EU students, split between Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork. From September 2025, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) will introduce a new Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme, adding at least 20 places annually for Irish and EEA students, a 33% increase in national capacity. RCSI is also developing proposals to add a further 15 places by 2027, subject to the necessary approvals. Discussions are ongoing with UCC to further expand its dental intake. The Department is also exploring future pathways in related disciplines such as dental hygiene.
To address wider workforce shortages, my Department asked the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to run an Expression of Interest (EOI) process in April 2024, focused on expanding training places across nine Health and Social Care Professions (HSCPs), including radiography and radiation therapy. This process was developed in collaboration with the Department of Health and informed by national health workforce planning.
A total of 24 submissions were received from higher education institutions (HEIs), identifying potential for up to 461 additional places annually, with up to 320 of these potentially available by 2025. Proposals included expansion across institutions such as:
• UCD and UCC (Radiography)
• UCC and Trinity College Dublin (Radiation Therapy)
• University of Limerick, DCU, ATU, TUS, and others for allied health fields
This coordinated expansion is contingent on clinical placement availability and the approval of necessary funding and staffing by the Department of Health and the HSE.
These efforts form part of a broader Government strategy to scale up educational in critical areas to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population. My Department remains fully committed to working with the HEA, the Department of Health, and the HSE to ensure that education capacity keeps pace with national service demand in essential areas of healthcare.
