I would like to begin by acknowledging the enormous contribution of Dr Gareth Quin, who, as Dean of the National Emergency Medicine Training Programme (NEMTP), led Emergency Medicine training in Ireland for 17 years. During that time, he has overseen major development and expansion of the CSTEM and ASTEM training programmes and provided outstanding leadership as Chair of ICEMT. His commitment to trainees, trainers, and the specialty has left a lasting legacy, to which we owe a great debt. 

I am honoured to take up the role of National Training Director for Emergency Medicine at a time of both significant opportunity and considerable challenge for our specialty. Emergency Medicine continues to face substantial workforce pressures. Ireland has approximately 226 consultants in Emergency Medicine, while 2024 workforce modelling estimated a requirement of approximately 311 WTE consultants by 2038. At 2024 intake levels, consultant numbers were projected to reach only around 237 by that time. In addition, EM continues to have the highest ratio of non-training scheme doctors relative to both consultant and trainee numbers of all specialties nationally. 

Against this background, my priorities for Year 1 will focus on five key areas: workforce expansion, full rollout of the EM ePortfolio, support and engagement for both trainers and trainees, and preparation for the upcoming Medical Council accreditation of the NEMTP. 

Our workforce strategy focuses on increasing training numbers through conversion of non-training scheme posts into training posts, accrediting new posts and sites, monitoring CSTEM attrition, and supporting Recognition of Prior Learning (“side entry”) pathways. At the same time, maintaining quality in recruitment and the overall training experience will remain essential. We have already made significant progress through our recently completed 2026 recruitment process, increasing CSTEM intake to 40 (from 30) and ASTEM intake to 25 (from 16). 

The full rollout of the trainee ePortfolio is another key priority, with a focus on completing implementation across all level of trainees, gathering structured feedback from trainees and trainers, addressing issues early, and ensuring it functions as a practical tool that supports education, assessment, and professional development, while also enhancing trainer engagement. 

Supporting trainees will remain central to the programme. Priorities include strengthening feedback structures, expanding flexible working arrangements and reducing unnecessary rotations, enhancing supports for parents and doctors returning to work, increasing access to mentorship, promoting wellbeing initiatives, and fostering a stronger sense of community within Emergency Medicine training.  I am also mindful of the evolving nature of Emergency Medicine training and practice. The modern curriculum must prepare future consultants not only as expert clinicians, but also as leaders, educators, and innovators, able to work effectively within increasingly complex healthcare systems. Initiatives such as ASPIRE fellowships, leadership development, and thoughtful engagement with AI integration will all form part of this evolving landscape. Equally, engagement with trainers is vital. A new “Train the Trainer” education programme will be launched in the coming months, alongside broader development supports, improved feedback and evaluation structures, and further recognition of the essential contribution trainers make to the programme. 

An exciting development for the specialty will be the establishment of the Irish Faculty of Emergency Medicine, deepening our relationship with the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine. We will continue to build strong working relationships with the RCSI Surgical Affairs team, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, and NDTP Regional Leads. The upcoming Medical Council accreditation process will provide an important opportunity to reflect on and further enhance the quality of our training programme. 

I would like to acknowledge the tremendous work of our Vice Deans, Prof John Ryan (ASTEM) and Dr James Binchy (CSTEM), together with the ICEMT Committee, whose commitment continues to strengthen Emergency Medicine training nationally. Finally, sincere thanks to our administrative team, led by Orla Mockler, whose professionalism and dedication are central to the successful running of the programme. 

I look forward to working with trainees, trainers, and our College partners to continue developing a training programme that is ambitious, supportive, and sustainable. I would warmly welcome feedback, ideas, and engagement from colleagues across the programme - please do not hesitate to get in touch.