Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
912. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of Irish citizens, excluding other EU, UK and Northern Ireland students, enrolled in first year medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy and veterinary medicine programmes in each higher education institution in each academic year from 2021-2022 to 2025-2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68437/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Higher Education Authority (HEA) collects annual student enrolment data from higher education institutions. The table in the attachment sets out the number of Irish domiciled students across Higher Education Institutions enrolled in first year medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy and veterinary medicine programmes. In accordance with the Deputy's request, these figures exclude students from other EU Member States, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Data for the 2025/26 academic year are not yet available, as the HEA is currently collecting and validating student enrolment returns from higher education institutions.
The Government has made significant investments in healthcare education capacity in recent years to support healthcare workforce planning, the implementation of Sláintecare and the delivery of Programme for Government commitments. Since 2022, Government approvals have enabled substantial expansion in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, physiotherapy and other health and social care programmes, helping to increase opportunities for Irish students and strengthen the future supply of healthcare professionals required across the health system.
This additional capacity includes:
• 200 additional annual medicine places delivered through the 2022 Medicine Expansion Agreement;
• 612 additional annual places across medicine, nursing, pharmacy and veterinary medicine approved through the 2022 healthcare education expansion process;
• the establishment of new pharmacy programmes at Atlantic Technological University (ATU), South East Technological University (SETU) and University of Galway;
• the establishment of a new dentistry programme at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI);
• the establishment of two new veterinary medicine programmes at ATU and SETU, providing an additional 80 veterinary medicine places annually and approximately doubling the number of veterinary medicine places available to Irish and EU students;
• 461 additional disability therapy places approved through the 2025 healthcare education expansion process, including significant expansion of physiotherapy capacity; and
• a further 274 healthcare training places approved by Government in July 2026 across a range of health and social care professions, including additional physiotherapy place.
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