Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2026
601. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has approved any workforce planning model or projection which quantifies the projected staffing shortfall to 2030 in social work, social care work, and dietetics; if so, to provide the projected shortfall figures by year; and how current apprenticeship intake levels align with those projections. [16012/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland’s Future Health and Social Care Workforce paper published in December 2025 sets out an evidence-based strategic direction for the health and social care workforce for the next 15 years. The paper focuses on the long-term demand and supply of health and social care workers out to 2040, using outputs from a planning projection model developed as part of a European Commission Technical Support Instrument (TSI) project Further information is available here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/minister-for-health-publishes-paper-on-irelands-future-health-and-social-care-workforce/ The paper notes that demand for Social Workers is projected to increase by 35% due to the projected rise in the population and given the prominent role that they play across society working with people of all ages. The stock of Social Workers (WTEs) is projected to increase from 4,348 in 2023 to 4,745 in 2040, if student places from 2023 of 238 are maintained. To meet the future projected demand, student places would need to increase by 72 places to 310 places by 2030 and that includes the apprenticeship pathway and tertiary programmes as increases to the domestic supply of Social Workers. Demand and supply projections for Social Care Workers and Dietitians are not currently available but future work will look to expand the number of Health and Social Care Professionals (HSCPs) modelled. The Department of Health is currently working with CORU to enhance data collection for workforce planning purposes. As part of the Government’s broader strategy to expand higher education capacity in health and social care disciplines, in June 2025 the Government announced major expansion in Health and Social Care Profession Training Places, with 461 new places to be delivered in nine priority HSCP disciplines by 2028. The expansion will see up to 315 additional student places created in 2025, up to 123 additional places in 2026, and the remainder in subsequent years, in disciplines critical to disability, health, and education services. This includes approximately 59 additional student places in Dietetics, 43 of which commenced in 2025, and approximately 85 additional student places in social work, 50 of which commenced in 2025. Further student places have been provided in Northern Ireland for Dietetics across the academic years 2023 and 2024. Student expansion is being delivered alongside coordinated workforce planning across Government and ongoing engagement with the health sector to ensure clinical placement capacity can support sustainable growth in student training. A new expression of interest process which will be undertaken by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in early 2026 will continue targeted expansion and new programme development for disability, health and social care graduates and educational psychologists. The HSE Apprentice in Social Work, is an innovative new career pathway for social workers to train on the job and earn a salary whilst doing so. The 2-year ‘Apprentice in Social Work’ programme aims to attract graduates by providing them employment in the HSE while they undertake a QQI level 9 Masters or Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work in UCC. Social Care Workers are newly regulated by CORU and represent one of the largest HSCP professions, with 5,000+ working between the HSE and Tusla. As part of efforts to increase the supply of qualified social care workers, an apprenticeship model is currently under development and will be piloted as a Work Based Learning programme leading to a BA in Social Care within Tusla and Oberstown from 2025. The availability of highly trained health and social care professionals (including social workers, social care workers, and dietitians) is essential to improving access to care and ensures our workforce keeps pace with population and demographic changes. The Department of Health, working closely with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research and Science, and the Higher Education Sector, the HSE and other partners, remains focused on expanding domestic training capacity as a mechanism to build a sustainable health and social care workforce to meet future population need for health and social care services.
