As the Deputy may be aware, following approval by Government on 13th December 2022, I was pleased to announce €9 million in additional supports for student nurses and midwives, €5.4m of which has been allocated to the HSE to introduce an enhanced Travel and Subsistence Scheme for eligible students while attending their supernumerary clinical practice placements.
The Department of Health Circular 4/2023 to the HSE on February 27th setting out revised arrangements to apply regarding accommodation allowance, the continuation of the travel allowance and the introduction of a subsistence allowance in the form of a €500 meals allowance. This circular followed on from the Department of Health Circular 9/2004.
As outlined in Circular 9/2004, “A student on the pre-registration nursing degree programme is entitled to a refund of the cost of transport on the basis of receipts certified by the student and the allocations officer in the health service.”.
As outlined in Circular 4/2023, “A supernumerary student on the undergraduate nursing/midwifery programme continues to be entitled to claim for payment of travel expenses necessarily incurred while attending placements, on the basis of receipts provided by the student and certified by the SALO in the clinical partner site.”
Travel allowance for eligible undergraduate students on supernumerary clinical practice placements has always and continues to be on a vouched receipt basis. My Department are not aware of any recent instructions that contradicts this.
