Medical school plans ‘won’t help students’

PLANS to more than double the number of Irish students who can gain entry to medical school may do little or nothing to ease pressure on school leavers hoping to study medicine, a campaign group said yesterday.

A task force set up two years ago to advise the Departments of Health and Education is reported to be recommending an increase in the intake of EU students to Irish medical schools to 725 a year.

Current restrictions mean that only 305 Irish or other EU applicants can be offered places, while colleges charge full tuition fees to more than 500 non-EU students.