Major boost for health and disability services as Government approves 274 additional Health and Social Care Professional training places

Minister for Further and Higher Education Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, along with Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill; Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley; and Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton today secured Government approval the first phase of a significant expansion of

higher education capacity in Health and Social Care Professions (HSCPs), supporting the delivery of vital health, disability, education and community services across the country. 

The approved package forms a first phase activation of the 2026 Higher Education Capacity Building Process and has been developed by the Higher Education Authority on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Department of Health, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, and the Department of Education and Youth. 

The Phase 1 package will provide approximately 274 additional annual student places at full rollout, including 76 additional entrants from the 2026/27 academic year, across 12 priority health and social care professions. The package also includes the establishment of a new Doctorate in Educational Psychology at Dublin City University, helping to strengthen access to specialist supports for children and young people. 

The expansion will increase the domestic supply of highly skilled professionals in areas where workforce shortages have been identified, including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, clinical and counselling psychology, dietetics, audiology, radiography, podiatry, social work, social care and medical science. These professions play a critical role in disability services, primary and community care, schools, and broader health services. 

The initiative follows a comprehensive cross-government prioritisation process involving the relevant Departments, the HEA, HSE, CORU, NEPS and other key stakeholders. The approved programmes have been selected based on workforce need, institutional readiness to commence, placement availability and their capacity to commence delivery in the 2026/27 and 2027/28 academic years. 

Welcoming the decision, Minister Lawless said:

"This investment represents another important step in building the workforce needed to support our health, disability, education and community services into the future.

"By increasing training opportunities in key professions where shortages are most acute, we are strengthening the pipeline of skilled graduates who will make a real difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities across Ireland."  

Minister Carroll MacNeill said:

"I welcome this cross-government collaboration to expand the number of student places available across priority Health and Social Care Professions (HSCPs). 

"This expansion in training capacity is an important step towards building a stronger, more resilient health and social care workforce for the future."  

Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton said:

"Government is committed to supporting children and young people to achieve their potential and having access to a range of professionals working in school settings is a critical support including educational psychologists as well as therapy professionals as part of the new Education Therapy Service. Workforce planning is key to the success of these initiatives and as a Government we have identified the significance of increasing the supply of these essential personnel as a priority. 

"I am very pleased, therefore, today, to welcome this important step forward in the delivery of additional professionals through increased higher education provision, delivered through extensive cross-departmental collaborative work which continues. 

"It will be particularly important for bolstering recent service developments in this area including the Education Therapy Service. The prioritisation of Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy and Educational Psychology, in particular, will make a real difference towards ensuring we have the workforce needed to deliver a fully inclusive education system." 

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley TD, emphasised the impact on disability services:

"I very much welcome this first phase of expansion of training places for health and social care professionals. This expansion is essential in tackling persistent shortages in the availability of key professions to work in our disability services. 

"I also strongly support the second phase of the work, which will assess a broader range of proposals, including development of new programmes. This will play a critical role in increasing the supply of health and social care workers to meet the current and future needs of people with a disability."

The approval builds on Government investment in healthcare education since 2022, through which more than 1,100 additional annual healthcare training places have already been approved or committed. The new Phase 1 measures will help support national priorities including the expansion of disability services, community-based care and educational supports. 

Higher Education Authority CEO Dr Alan Wall said:

"On behalf of the HEA, I welcome this commitment to continued expansion of health and allied care places in our higher education institutions. In 2022, we worked with the sector to identify opportunities health care, including nursing, dentistry, veterinary, pharmacy, and medicine. 

"Since then, we have advanced a further two expansionary programmes in health and social care in 2024 and in disability health and education support services in 2026. In all, these processes will see over 1,400 new undergraduate and postgraduate places come on stream by 2029/30. Many of these places are on high demand programmes. Today's announcement creates additional opportunities for students across Ireland and again demonstrates the higher education system's responsiveness to national needs in the health and disability sector." 

Work is continuing on a second phase of the process, which will examine additional expansion proposals and new programme developments, with further recommendations to be brought to Government following completion of the assessment process.