asked the Minister for Health if he will review a directive issued by his Department in 1987 which resulted in first year student nurses' salaries being reduced to a gross payment of £58 weekly, thus causing severe financial hardship.
Written Answers. - Student Nurses' Salaries.
55.
Student nurses in their first year of training in addition to the payment of £58 per week are provided with free accommodation and have access to subsidised meals in their hospitals. At the end of a three year training period the student nurses on successfully sitting their final examinations qualify as state registered nurses — a qualification which has a high international marketable value. In contrast to this it should be noted that members of other disciplines, for example medical and paramedical personnel, have to fund their own way through third level institutions before qualification.
Within the limited financial resources available to me for nurse training purposes I have endeavoured to make training available, within reason, to as many young people as possible. The reality of the situation is that a choice had to be made between using the available resources to enable some 400 more students to be recruited or paying students at existing rates with no increase in the level of intake. It was decided to spread the resources over a greater number of students thereby giving more of our young people access to nurse training.