Vol. 496 No. 6
446 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will abolish fees for those doing a full-time degree in nursing in view of the fact that these are the only fees payable for third level courses and amount to £2,000 per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23867/98]
I presume that the Deputy is referring to the one year full-time degree course leading to a bachelor of nursing which is offered by National University of Ireland, Galway, to students who have successfully completed the nursing registration-diploma programmes. The position is that this course has not been recognised for the purposes of the free fees initiative. Indeed, I would point out to the Deputy that the fees payable for this course are not the only fees payable for third level courses. The free fees initiative applies to full-time undergraduate courses which must generally be of at least two years duration.
My Department does not provide funding for the education and training of nurses. As the Deputy will be aware, the revised programme for basic pre-registration nurse education and training which was introduced in October 1994 is funded by the Department of Health and Children. Successful completion of the three year programme leads to a diploma in nursing studies and students are eligible to register with An Bord Altranais for employment as a nurse.
Furthermore, the Commission on Nursing has recommended that the future framework for the pre-registration education of nurses should be based on a four year degree programme and a forum, involving the third level institutions, the schools of nursing, health services providers and An Bord Altranais is being established by the Minister for Health and Children to agree a strategy for the implementation of degree level pre-registration nursing education and training.
