Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, visited Maynooth University’s new School of Nursing to announce a major government investment aimed at expanding healthcare education across Ireland. The plan involves €28.5 million in 2026 to create over 1,100 new healthcare course places each year for the next three years, marking a 27% increase in annual training capacity across disciplines such as medicine, nursing, allied health, social care, pharmacy, dentistry, radiography, and veterinary medicine. This expansion is designed to strengthen Ireland’s future health and social care workforce, reduce the need for students to train abroad, and ensure the health system can meet rising demands.
During his visit, Minister Lawless highlighted the significance of the investment, calling it one of the largest expansions of healthcare training capacity the State has undertaken. He noted that Maynooth University’s School of Nursing, which delivered 30 places in its first year, plans to grow to 100 places annually, with half of these available through alternative pathways beyond the traditional CAO. This approach aims to widen access and support a more diverse student body.
The sector-wide expansion extends across nursing and midwifery, medicine, allied health and therapy professions, pharmacy, social care, dentistry, radiography, and veterinary medicine. Higher education institutions are developing new programmes and expanding existing ones, aligned with increasing clinical placement capacity provided by the HSE. The establishment of Maynooth University’s School of Nursing strengthens the national pipeline of healthcare professionals while supporting infrastructure development, clinical partnerships, and long-term planning between the higher education and health sectors.
The investment builds on previous commitments, including the near completion of adding 200 medicine places, with only 20 remaining, and the launch of two new veterinary programmes at ATU and SETU beginning in 2026, which will double Ireland’s veterinary training capacity. Funding continues for medicine, nursing, and allied health places in Northern Ireland to maintain essential cross-border training pathways. Further capacity expansions for 2026 and beyond are actively being planned in collaboration with higher education institutions to ensure a sustainable and future-focused growth of Ireland’s healthcare workforce.
