Government approves major expansion in Health and Social Care Profession training places
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Ó: An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta
- Foilsithe:
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 11 Meitheamh 2025
The overnment today approved a significant expansion in training places for Health and Social Care Professions (HSCPs), a move that will see up to 320 additional student places created in 2025 and a further 141 in subsequent years, in disciplines critical to disability, health, and education services.
The decision follows a joint proposal led by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), in collaboration with the Department of Health, Department of Children, Disability, Equality (DCDE), and Department of Education and Youth, supported by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
This immediate expansion will be in nine key HSCP areas: Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Radiation Therapy, Radiography, Podiatry, Social Work, Medical Science, and Dietetics.
These additional places follow a recent Expression of Interest (EoI) process led by the HEA, which identified capacity across 11 higher education institutions to grow existing programmes. Places have been proposed in Atlantic Technological University, Dublin City University, Maynooth University, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, Technological University Dublin, Technological University of the Shannon, University College Cork, University College Dublin and the University of Limerick.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless, welcomed the decision, stating:
“This investment will support the creation of 461 new training places each year in priority health and social care professions, with the majority commencing in 2025. These places will repeat annually and are now part of the permanent baseline. It’s a vital investment in the future of our health, disability and education services, and in meeting our Programme for Government commitment to double places in these high-demand courses.
"This is just the first phase. Meeting our commitments in disability and education will require significant additional growth in therapy training places, and work to deliver further phases of expansion is already underway. I am examining opportunities for postgraduate programmes, further education models, and apprenticeship-style routes to grow the pipeline of healthcare and therapy professionals across the system. We are actively engaging with institutions in Northern Ireland to explore further expansion.
"This expansion importantly helps us respond to the needs of children and adults who rely on these services every day."
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill added:
"The availability of highly trained health and social care professionals is essential to improving access to care and ensures our workforce keeps pace with population and demographic changes. I commend the HSE, National HSCP Office and HSE regional services for their ongoing work to meet this demand. I also welcome the cross-government collaboration that made this possible. These professionals will play a vital role, across our six new HSE Health Regions, to better integrate our health service."
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley emphasised the impact on disability services:
"This expansion is a very welcome first step, as we need to significantly increase the number of these expert professionals to meet current and future demands in disability services, including those for children. Also by investing in the HSE’s clinical placement support infrastructure, we will facilitate more placements in the disability sector. In this way we can encourage more graduates to pursue a rewarding career in disability services."
Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee highlighted the role of educational psychology and therapy support:
"I am committed to ensuring every child and young person can reach their full potential through access to an inclusive education system. Our students benefit from a committed workforce of teachers, SNAs and others in the school community, it also includes therapists and educational psychologists.
"This expansion will provide a number of new training places for key disciplines in the education sector. This will ensure there is an increased supply of therapists initially and educational psychologists into the future to work alongside school communities. Further building school environments where every child and young person can flourish and those with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support.”
The expansion will provide 461 new places by 2028, including 320 in 2025 and 83 in 2026, with targeted investment from DFHERIS, the Department of Health, and other partners to support the associated clinical placements, staff, and infrastructure.
HEA CEO Dr. Alan Wall welcomed the government's support:
"This is a tangible example of what can be achieved through a unified national effort. The HEA has worked closely with government departments, the HSE, and higher education institutions to identify opportunities to grow capacity quickly and sustainably. Today’s announcement gives the green light for higher education institutions to deliver those plans."
Government departments and the HEA are also advancing a process to further expand programme provision in the higher education system, with an emphasis on occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and educational psychology, where existing providers are nearing capacity.