Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 July 2026
93. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost to the State of training students in key public service professions such as nursing and teaching; and whether his Department has examined graduate emigration patterns in these sectors. [50258/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recognise the importance of ensuring that the State’s investment in the education and training of key public service professionals, including nurses and teachers, delivers strong outcomes for graduates and for wider society.
Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies responsible for their academic and financial management. State funding is allocated at an institutional level rather than on a per-student or per-discipline basis. Public sector higher education institutions are funded through a mix of income streams, including Exchequer grants, competitive funding and fee income, with these combined resources supporting the full range of institutional activities. The internal allocation of funding, including how resources are distributed across programmes, is a matter for each institution within its overall budget.
As such, it is not possible to provide a definitive unit cost for training specific cohorts such as nursing or teaching, although programmes with significant clinical or placement elements are recognised as more resource-intensive across a number of Departments and agencies including Department of Health, HSE and Department of Education and Youth. Officials in the Department of Education and Youth have informed my Department that the estimated cost of Primary Initial Teacher Education funding in 2026 is €10.2 million.
Separately, in collaboration with the Department of Education and Youth and the National Tertiary Office, my Department has supported the development of a tertiary pathway to Primary Initial Teacher Education. The aim of this programme is to diversify the teaching profession in Ireland by removing barriers to entry to the Bachelor of Education. Mary Immaculate College is offering 30 places on this five-year programme in collaboration with Limerick and Clare ETB and Tipperary ETB for the 2026/27 academic year. Applications are now closed, with approximately 1,200 applications received for the 30 available places.
The Government has significantly increased investment in priority areas. In nursing and midwifery, over 300 additional places have been introduced since 2022, with further expansion supported through recent Budget measures. In teaching, supply remains strong, with over 3,600 newly qualified teachers registering in 2025 and a significant increase in overall teacher numbers in recent years.
In relation to graduate outcomes, my Department monitors progression through the Graduate Outcomes Survey, which consistently shows high levels of employment among nursing and teaching graduates, with the majority entering employment in their field.
While this provides valuable insight into employment outcomes, analysis of emigration patterns is more complex and influenced by wider labour market conditions, including international demand for skills, as well as personal and other motivations. Work is ongoing across Government to strengthen public service workforce planning, improve data, and support retention across key public service professions. In this regard my Department and I will continue to support these responses.
