Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has initiated a programme to subsidise medical education for student doctors from the Republic of Ireland, encouraging them to study in Northern Ireland.
The move aims to address the shortage of healthcare professionals in the Health Service Executive (HSE). Students from the Republic will be exempt from the higher tuition fees faced by Northern Irish students, paying the €3,000 fee applicable in the Republic, with the state covering the remaining tuition costs. A condition of the subsidy is that students commit to working for the HSE upon completing their degree. The plan, set to be finalized in meetings later this month, aligns with Ireland’s goal of doubling medical training places to reduce reliance on foreign doctors, as over 40% of medics in Ireland were hired from abroad in 2019.
The initiative follows previous funding for nursing and therapy places in Northern Ireland and builds on efforts to improve cross-border collaboration in education and research.
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