Government to expand college courses to combat healthcare shortages
Minister for Higher Education Patrick O'Donovan has confirmed that 160 extra student places will be provided over the next two academic years, starting from September. File photo: Niall Carson/PA
The Government is increasing college places in speech and language and other therapies by 35% in a bid to address significant healthcare shortages and waiting lists.
Minister for Higher Education Patrick O'Donovan has confirmed that 160 extra student places will be provided over the next two academic years, starting from September. Mr O'Donovan is also working to increase training spaces in other areas, including dentistry, pharmacy, and veterinary, where there are workforce shortages.
From September, the University of Galway will increase its intake on a number of courses, including occupational therapy, podiatric medicine, and speech and language therapy while the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) will also provide additional spaces in physiotherapy.
Limerick University is to introduce an undergraduate occupational therapy course.
Mr O'Donovan has confirmed that an extra 50 places will come on stream across the country from September with around 110 more added the following year. "Ultimately when the CAO offers come out, more people will go into these disciplines this September than last year, and as well next September," he said.
"By expanding these programmes, we are not only enhancing educational opportunities for our students but also ensuring that our healthcare system is equipped with the necessary professionals to meet future demands."
Mr O'Donovan worked with Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to ensure clinical placements in hospitals are available alongside the extra college spaces.
However, he added that he is now working to expand the number of third-level institutions that offer courses in therapies.
"We now have a whole cohort of technological universities that I believe can play a big part, not only in relation to healthcare and social care, but as well as that in the other disciplines that up to now were maybe seen as the preserve of the traditional universities."
Turning to other areas that he wants to address, Mr O'Donovan said: "We will be making substantial progress with regard to dentistry and veterinary early in the autumn."
He said he hopes to use "some of the levers" that will present themselves through the National Training Fund to open up spaces in other specialties such as dentistry.
