The Department of Health has urged caution in proceeding with a proposal from the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, to change the system of entry to the State's medical schools from next year.
In its submission to a working group set up by Mr Dempsey to look at the proposed introduction of a system whereby students would only enter medical school after they had first taken a primary degree, the Department of Health has said: "If graduate entry is being considered a method of entry to medical school, it must be done very cautiously to ensure that quality is safeguarded."
It suggested that if graduate entry was introduced, that "it be done alongside existing entry methods [i.e. as an additional option, at least initially] rather than as the sole entry method".
But it said the high points required in the Leaving Certificate to get a place in medical school at present were limiting entry to medicine to the very highest academic achievers. "Whether these candidates are always the most suitable for medicine is not clear," it said.
The submission to the working group, which is due to report shortly, said many weaknesses had been identified in the State's medical schools when they were visited by the Medical Council four years ago.
"They made a number of very important recommendations including funding, curriculum reform, protected time for teaching, resource and facilities enhancement. The curriculum is deficient particularly in the areas of primary healthcare, public health, communication skills and ethics," it said.
"The deficiencies identified by the Medical Council need to be urgently addressed," it added.
Furthermore, it said more than half of those entering medical school here were non-EU citizens. "There is a need to reduce the reliance on non-EU doctors to fund our medical schools. The medical schools may be over reliant on Government funding.
"Consideration also needs to be given to other income sources," the submission continued.
The methods of entry and the requirements for entry to undergraduate medical schools for disadvantaged students, graduates and EU and non-EU students should be standardised, be available to the public and recruitment should be transparent, it added.
In addition, the submission suggested Irish medical schools could consider whether they need to deliver similar programmes, whether one or more should specialise in different areas, and the potential value of distance learning. It was essential that care was given to managing the quality of any distance-learning programmes introduced, it said.
Referring to the costs associated with medical education and training, it said strategies for medical education must focus on high quality while delivering the core curriculum in the most efficient manner, and at the lowest cost.
"Alliances with international medical schools at EU level, Asia, China, US and Canada could offer significant advantages and allow universities expand without a significant investment required in facility reconstruction.
"With the pressure on resources, universities could join together, squeeze out redundancy from their cost structure and focus on core competencies," it said.
The Department of Health is not the only agency to express caution about Mr Dempsey's proposal. The Irish Medical Organisation has rejected the plan pointing out that undergraduate medical entry is the norm in the EU. Furthermore, it said the change would not end the points race, but rather move it from second to third level. "The points race is caused by restricting the number of places available... demand outstrips supply and creates a points race," it said.
Submissions to the working group can be read on the website of the Higher Education Authority at www.hea.ie