The Irish government is to fund 50 places for medical students at Queen’s University Belfast over next two years.
The initiative, which aims to boost the Republic’s Health Service Executive workforce, will see 25 places made available for qualifying students from Ireland or Northern Ireland in Queen’s from September 2024.
A further 25 places will be made available in September 2025.
The places will be co-funded by the Republic’s Department of Further and Higher Education and the Department of Health following an agreement with Queen’s.
We are increasing the number of medical student places at Queen's thanks to funding from @DeptofFHed and @roinnslainte.
— Queen's University Belfast 🎓 (@QUBelfast) February 29, 2024
Twenty-five additional medical places will be made available for qualifying students from Ireland or Northern Ireland from September 2024, with a further… pic.twitter.com/Uegi24rm1f
Queen’s president Professor Sir Ian Greer, said the partnership with the Irish government departments “will serve to benefit the future of healthcare across the island of Ireland, producing a much-needed increased number of medically trained graduates for both health services”.
The Republic’s higher education minister Simon Harris said: “We have forged really important bonds with partners in Northern Ireland to help improve access to education and research and this is a further example of these relationships benefiting both education and healthcare systems on the island”.
Stephen Donnelly, Irish health minister, added: “These 50 additional student places will increase the number of doctors which is an important step towards meeting future health workforce needs.
“Through co-operation with partners in Northern Ireland, we have previously secured additional student places in other key health-related disciplines.
“There are now 140 students from the south studying nursing and midwifery across Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University and a further 80 students studying in allied health professional courses at Ulster University.”
Sinn Féin’s health spokesperson Liz Kimmins said it was “exciting news for aspiring doctors and vital in training more doctors and other health professionals into our health service to support patients across our island”.
