Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2026
439. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if, given the urgent need to increase the number of qualified medical doctors in Ireland, he will strategically direct SUSI to consider graduate medical courses not to be an additional QQI level 8 qualification, for the purposes of assessing grant applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8824/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recognise the urgent need to increase the supply of qualified medical doctors and the important role that Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) plays in meeting Ireland’s medical workforce requirements.
In relation to student supports, the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) scheme operates under the Student Support Act 2011 and associated regulations, which provide that postgraduate qualifications, including Graduate Entry Medicine, are assessed as additional qualifications for grant purposes. Any change to the treatment of GEM within the SUSI framework would require careful consideration of legislative, policy and funding implications.
I understand the financial pressures faced by Graduate Entry Medicine students, including those who do not qualify for SUSI grants or access to specific student loans currently. Students pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding. They are also not eligible for funding under the Student Grant Scheme as they do not meet the progression criteria of the Scheme. This approach is grounded in the need to ensure fairness across the student population by prioritising State support for those pursuing an initial primary degree.
I can advise that I have asked my officials to examine potential approaches to tuition fee supports for Graduate Entry Medicine. This work is being progressed in the context of the Programme for Government, which includes a commitment to introduce a tuition fee support scheme for Graduate Entry Medicine. While this commitment is identified as a Department of Health action, my Department continues to engage with the Department of Health in relation to support options that could complement existing supports.
Alongside affordability measures, my Department is progressing significant expansion of medical education capacity. This includes the development of a new Rural and Remote Graduate Entry Medicine programme at the University of Galway which is expected to commence from 2027, subject to the necessary approvals, providing 48 places annually. In addition, a new Direct Entry Medicine programme at the University of Limerick has been approved, with an initial intake of 30 students planned for 2026.
These initiatives build on the July 2022 agreement to increase medical training capacity by 200 additional EU medicine places, which are being delivered on a phased basis to September 2026, with approximately 180 places already created. My Department has also worked with counterparts in Northern Ireland to secure 50 ring-fenced undergraduate medicine places at Queen’s University Belfast for Irish students across 2024 and 2025, linked to a commitment to apply for HSE internships on graduation.
In addition, my Department provides significant Exchequer support for Graduate Entry Medicine through the partial subsidy of tuition fees for eligible EU students. In the 2024/25 academic year, this support amounted to approximately €13 million, with per-student subsidies of up to €16,250 for GEM places created under the 2022 expansion agreement. Graduate Entry Medicine students may also benefit from wider student supports, including National Access Plan bursaries, the Student Assistance Fund, and tax relief on tuition fees and rent.
My officials will continue to engage with the the HEA, the higher education sector and the Irish Medical Schools Council to ensure that medical education capacity and student support measures are aligned with national workforce planning needs.
