Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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710. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the work of his Department to secure places for students from this jurisdiction in medical schools in Northern Ireland; whether he has ensured that these students would then be eligible to apply to work in the HSE on graduation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17898/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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In February of this year, an agreement was reached with Queen's University Belfast for the funding of twenty-five (25) additional medical places for qualifying students from Ireland or Northern Ireland in Queen's from September 2024. A further twenty-five places will be made available in September 2025 bringing the total number of additional places available to 50.

These places are being be co-funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Health. Students who take up one of these places will commit to applying and accepting, if offered, a position in the HSE as an intern at the end of their studies.

With the ongoing expansion in places across the six medical schools, and the additional places secured in Northern Ireland, by September 2024 more than 25% increase in places will have been delivered for Irish students relative to September 2021.

It is a key priority for me and my Department as well as Minister Stephen Donnelly and the Department of Health to ensure that we continue to build capacity in a sustainable way to meet the workforce needs of the healthcare sector and also to provide greater opportunities on this island for students wishing to study medicine as well as other key healthcare disciplines.