Minister Lawless announces largest expansion of Healthcare education places in State history

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, today announced the largest expansion of healthcare education places in the history of the State, with Government approving measures that will create capacity for an additional 612 students every year across nursing, midwifery, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine.

The expansion will create new opportunities for students seeking careers in healthcare and delivers on Programme for Government commitments to increase training capacity and strengthen Ireland’s future healthcare workforce. At full rollout, the measures will support more than 2,600 additional students enrolled in healthcare programmes across Ireland’s higher education system.

The additional places will be available through CAO entry and other pathways into higher education, helping more students access healthcare professions while supporting workforce needs across hospitals, primary care, disability services and community healthcare settings.

A major focus of today’s announcement is nursing and midwifery, with 268 additional places to be provided annually through expanded capacity at institutions including Maynooth University, University of Galway, Dundalk Institute of Technology, University of Limerick and Dublin City University.

Government has also approved the continued expansion of programmes in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine, ensuring that more students can access high-demand healthcare courses over the coming years.

Collectively, the measures approved today will support:

• 268 additional nursing and midwifery places annually;
• 151 additional pharmacy places annually;
• 80 additional veterinary medicine places annually;
• 78 additional medicine places annually; and
• 35 additional dentistry places annually.

The expansion forms part of the continued rollout of healthcare programmes arising from the Higher Education Authority’s 2022 healthcare expansion process and builds on substantial Government investment in healthcare education in recent years.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, said:

‘This Government is delivering the largest expansion of healthcare education places in the history of the State. The creation of more than 600 additional places annually across nursing and midwifery, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine represents a major investment in our students, our health service and Ireland’s future.

For people considering a healthcare career, this means more opportunities than ever before to access these programmes through the CAO, graduate-entry routes and new tertiary pathways.

Today’s decision delivers on a key Programme for Government commitment to expand healthcare training capacity and ensure Ireland can educate the healthcare professionals our growing population will need in the years ahead.’

Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, said:

‘This expansion of healthcare education places will increase training opportunities for students and strengthen the pipeline of skilled health and social care professionals needed for the future. The continued expansion of health-related courses is creating new opportunities across a range of professions and helping to develop the health and social care workforce that will be essential to meeting Ireland’s future health and social care needs.

In keeping with the objectives of Sláintecare, this expansion will help the continued delivery of high-quality care to people and communities across Ireland.’

Tim Conlon, Head of Policy and Strategic Planning at the Higher Education Authority, said:

‘This is one of the most significant expansions of healthcare education places ever delivered through Ireland’s higher education system. The additional places approved today will create hundreds of new opportunities each year for students seeking careers in healthcare, while helping to ensure Ireland can educate the workforce needed to meet future health and social care needs. 

The HEA is determined to continue this work with Government, the Department of Health and higher education institutions to help continue to deliver this ambitious expansion and to help grow the supply of skilled graduates in the country in these critical healthcare areas.’

More Pathways into Healthcare Careers

The Programme for Government commits to expanding the number of healthcare training places across a range of disciplines to ensure Ireland can educate and train the workforce required to meet future needs. Today’s decision advances that commitment by increasing opportunities for prospective students across the country to access programmes that lead directly to rewarding and essential careers in healthcare.

In particular, the expansion of nursing and midwifery places will provide more students with the opportunity to pursue careers that are central to the delivery of healthcare services. The additional places are expected to support increased participation from students across regions and contribute to a stronger pipeline of graduates entering the health system in the years ahead.

The decision also supports continued growth in medicine, including new undergraduate and graduate-entry pathways, alongside expanded capacity in pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine. These areas have been identified as national priorities through workforce planning and are critical to supporting healthcare provision across Ireland.

Further Government Investment in Therapies and Health and Social Care Professions

Today’s announcement follows the recent Government approval of a separate package of proposals arising from the 2026 Higher Education Capacity Building Process for Health and Social Care Professions, which will deliver approximately 275 additional annual places across a range of priority healthcare and therapy disciplines.

Those additional places will support the development of future professionals in areas including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, educational psychology, dietetics, social work, social care, clinical and counselling psychology, audiology, radiography, podiatry and medical science. These professions play a vital role in disability services, community healthcare, mental health services, primary care and educational supports.

Taken together, the healthcare expansion measures approved by Government will create a substantial increase in educational opportunities for students interested in healthcare careers while supporting the long-term workforce requirements of Ireland’s health, disability and education services.

The Government’s healthcare education expansion programme now spans nursing and midwifery, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and a broad range of health and social care professions, representing one of the largest investments in healthcare training capacity ever undertaken by the State.

Notes

• Government has approved the activation and continued rollout of healthcare education expansion proposals arising from the 2022 Higher Education Authority Expression of Interest process.
• The approved package supports: 268 additional nursing and midwifery places annually, 151 additional pharmacy places annually, 80 additional veterinary medicine places annually, 78 additional medicine places annually, 35 additional dentistry places annually.
• At full rollout, the measures will support more than 2,600 additional healthcare students across the higher education system.
• Government recently approved a separate Phase 1 package under the 2026 Health and Social Care Professions expansion process, providing approximately 275 additional annual places across 12 priority professions.
• There are also now pathways into healthcare careers beyond the traditional CAO route. This year, 33 Tertiary Degree Programmes are offering 339 places in healthcare-related disciplines, including nursing, occupational therapy and health promotion.
• Ten of these pathways, accounting for 95 places, are being offered for the first time. These programmes provide an alternative route into healthcare professions, focusing on students’ potential, aptitude and commitment, while creating even more opportunities to access in-demand careers in the sector.