Shelving of Cork University Dental School plan is ‘devastating’

Siobhan Lynch, Hospital School Manager with Paul Brady, Dean of Cork University Dental School and Hospital on the roof of the hospital which is prone to leaking and has been patched many times. Picture: Dan Linehan

The Irish Dental Association (IDA) said it is “devastating” that a new dental school is no longer being considered for Cork and urged the Government to get behind the shelved plans.

This follows the dean of the Cork University Dental School and Hospital saying plans to build a new five-storey school are no longer going ahead.

However, Professor Paul Brady warned it has outgrown its current location and estimated €40m of State funding could support the project. It is one of only two training colleges for dentists in Ireland.

The IDA said this school is “instrumental” in providing care to thousands of patients and training students.

“We urge the Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris, the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, and all relevant Government departments to acknowledge that the UCC Dental School can no longer reside in an aging building with outdated equipment and allocate adequate funding to allow for the original plans to proceed,” it urged.

The IDA has found Ireland has the fewest number of dentists out of 24 European countries. Patient numbers in the public service have shot up by around 25%, according to the IDA, but the number of dentists is declining by the same proportion.

Currently, Prof Brady said they have room for only 24 to 26 students through the CAO system.

This means even students who earn the maximum of 625 points may not get a place. He said: 

When the number of applications from students on maximum points exceeds the number of available places, it goes to a lottery which is hugely unfair. 

It also caters for international students, paying significantly higher fees than EU students.

“They bring a lot to the table, in a way they are supporting the Irish students, because we wouldn’t be able to work off just the funding we get for the Irish students,” he said.

Student places rose to 64 in anticipation of the re-location but are now at 51.

“When we realised that the new school might not go ahead, we had to reduce the intake as our existing building and staffing levels does not have the capacity to support the additional numbers,” he said.

The Department of Health said potential opportunities for additional capacity in dental training were identified by the HSE last year.

“Consideration is now being given to how investment could be advanced,” a spokesman said.

“Work is ongoing to support the Cork University Dental School and Hospital to continue to deliver on its remit regarding both education and healthcare provision.”