Dentists say theyre in short supply because colleges forced to rely on foreign students fees [Video]

DENTISTS HAVE CALLED on the government to limit the number of international students studying dentistry in Ireland, saying that a dentist shortage in Ireland is due to training spots being taken up by students to return to their home countries once qualified.

The Irish Dental Association has called on the government to limit students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to 20%.

Additionally, the association is calling for a funding boost of €20 million from the government to subsidise the financial cut that a limit on international students training in Ireland will create.

Students from outside the EEA pay over €45,000 per annum in fees to train in either University College Cork or Trinity College Dublin. These high fees are used to “cross subsidise” Irish dental students “due to the years of under-resourcing of our Irish dental schools”.

“The department of higher education relies on this funding model to …