Maynooth University will welcome its first nursing students in September, marking Ireland’s first new nursing school establishment in over 20 years following official approval from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
The new BSc in General Nursing programme will accept applications through the CAO’s ‘Available Places’ facility from August 28th, with an initial intake of 30 students expected to grow to 100 over four years.
Professor Fintan Sheerin, founding head of Maynooth’s School of Nursing, emphasized the unique opportunity to reshape Irish healthcare education from the ground up. “Maynooth University is in a unique position in establishing a wholly new school of nursing. This hasn’t been done in an Irish university for about two decades,” he stated.
The programme prioritizes inclusive education pathways, with 50% of students expected to come from further education backgrounds and mature learners, addressing diverse entry routes into nursing careers.
Higher Education Minister James Lawless welcomed the development as crucial for addressing healthcare workforce shortages in one of Ireland’s fastest-growing regions. “This new undergraduate nursing programme marks an important step in expanding healthcare education,” he said, highlighting the government’s priority to meet acute skills shortages in health services.
The establishment comes amid ongoing efforts to expand healthcare programmes nationwide and increase graduate supply to address critical staffing needs across Ireland’s health system, positioning the new school as a vital component in training the next generation of healthcare professionals.