Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
906. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science whether he is satisfied that the current balance between EU and non-EU undergraduate medical students at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland aligns with national workforce planning objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68445/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government has made healthcare workforce expansion a key priority in support of the delivery of Sláintecare, the Programme for Government and wider health service reform objectives. Expansion decisions are informed by workforce projections and service needs identified by the Department of Health, the HSE and other Government partners, ensuring that investment in healthcare education capacity is aligned with national workforce requirements.
A key element of this approach has been the implementation of the 2022 Medicine Expansion Agreement, which is providing 200 additional annual medicine places across Irish medical schools. This is complemented by a range of other approved healthcare workforce expansion measures designed to increase the supply of Irish and EU healthcare graduates and support the long-term workforce needs of the Irish health service.
The Government has also supported significant expansion across healthcare education more broadly, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and a range of Health and Social Care Professions. These investments are intended to strengthen the domestic education pipeline, reduce long-term reliance on international recruitment and ensure the State has the workforce required to meet future health and social care needs.
Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies with responsibility for decisions relating to admissions, programme delivery and student recruitment, including the admission of Irish/EU and international students, subject to the relevant legislative and regulatory frameworks.
RCSI as a private college plays an important role within Ireland's medical education system and makes a significant contribution to the training of both domestic and international medical students. First-year undergraduate medicine enrolment data indicate that Irish and EU students represented approximately two-thirds of the first-year undergraduate medicine intake at RCSI in recent years, with 120 Irish/EU students and 60 non-EU students enrolled in 2022/23, 115 Irish/EU students and 70 non-EU students enrolled in 2023/24, and 115 Irish/EU students and 70 non-EU students enrolled in 2024/25.
The position in relation to undergraduate medical education is being considered within a wider strategic framework focused on increasing Irish and EU training capacity and supporting future healthcare workforce requirements. While institutions retain responsibility for their admissions policies, the Government's priority is to continue expanding domestic healthcare education capacity through targeted investment and workforce planning measures, including the ongoing rollout of the 200 additional annual medicine places provided under the 2022 Medicine Expansion Agreement and other healthcare workforce expansion initiatives.
