Third Level Education
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-23
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James Lawless (FF), Kildare North

On dentistry, I was pleased to visit the RCSI's new dental hospital in Sandyford recently where a number of new places have been created straight into the system. I met students who are already in first year on that course and they were participating eagerly. I am very aware of the shortages of GPs and the pressure on rural practices as a TD and have seen it myself in my own constituency. One of the benefits of the new courses I have been supporting and encouraging is that rather than doing the same thing in every university, and repeating it around the country, universities are coming forward with different offerings that are more targeted and localised. For example, in Galway a new medical degree is being offered in the area of rural and remote medicine. That focuses on future practitioners who will have a rural catchment area and a slightly different practice than might be the case for an urban practitioner, which is helpful. The ATU and SETU are creating new veterinary courses with a focus on large animal practice, unlike the small animal practices that are typical of cities. The RCSI have a proposal for a new GP medical course focusing on care in the community. Each of these new courses has a particular focus which is of societal benefit.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-23