Health Services Staff
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-09
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David Cullinane (SF), Waterford

Recruitment is important and every additional staff member recruited in acute primary or community settings in the health service is to be welcomed. My question, though, was on increasing clinical training capacity. I know that also falls under the Minister for higher education.
I think the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, was in the Chamber this week when I raised issues in relation to South East Technological University, SETU. It has plans for a new pharmaceutical, a new veterinary and a new one health building. All of that, if funded, will be important for more graduates, research and development. I spoke to the manager of the hospital a number of times. The glassworks site in Waterford is iconic because it is the former home of Waterford Crystal in Kilbarry. Now it provides opportunities to enhance SETU. I know from talking to the local hospital manager that they see the potential for a new medical school. I think I raised this with the Minister in the Oireachtas health committee in the past. I know it straddles other Departments but there is an excitement about the site that can be realised. It could be a good opportunity to increase training capacity for doctors and other healthcare professionals if it were supported.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-09