I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment. I also thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to respond to it. I note the Minister of State represents the relevant Departments of Health and Children and Education and Science.
It is again necessary to discuss the issue of student nurses. This matter has been raised on several occasions over the past year. There have been a number of protests about the unfairness of the fact that student nurses were the only full-time undergraduates who had to pay fees in the State. The fees are currently approximately £2,000. On several occasions, Members on both sides of the House raised this matter through parliamentary questions or on the Adjournment.
The validity of the case was finally recognised recently when the Minister for Health and Children, probably because of his experience as Minister for Education and Science, acknowledged the plight of nurses in training and announced a package of £15 million to effectively pay the fees of student nurses during their degree course year. This £15 million will cover the next few years, starting from January. This move is welcome and it recognises the unfair anomaly that existed to which many Members drew attention. However, I have raised the issue again to draw attention to the 237 current students and recently qualified nurses who are being left out of the initiative. They have been overlooked and I appeal to the Minister of State to introduce measures to facilitate and provide financial support for existing students and recently qualified personnel who will not benefit from the latest initiative.
Student nurses unlike any other students are much needed by society and the economy. We are in a position where our health services cannot expand because of the shortage of nurses. There is a nursing home in my constituency in which only 50% of the beds are open. The others cannot open because no nurses are available. This story is replicated throughout the country. There is a dire shortage of nurses and we cannot afford to alienate any nurses in the system. This is why I appeal to the Minister of State to recognise the unfairness of the treatment of the current student nurses and those who recently qualified.
There are 120 nurses in training at present, pursuing the degree course. They are due to qualify in the coming months. We cannot afford to alienate those student nurses or their comrades who qualified recently. This is why there is a strong case for providing some form of financial assistance either through a rebate of fees or a waiver of any remaining fees which are due to be paid this year. We badly need those nurses to stay in the country and to fill the many vacant posts in our health service which are preventing it from developing and people from receiving vital health services.
I ask the Minister of State, on the grounds of justice and equity, to make a special arrangement for this small group of people who are needed in our society and whom we cannot afford to alienate. They have made a commitment in terms of their training over a four year period. It is grossly unfair to single them out and to alienate them when the principle has been recognised by the Minister for Health and Children in his £15 million package. A small sum of money, £474,000, is required to give a rebate to those who have already incurred significant expenditure. I appeal strongly to the Minister of State to introduce an initiative as the Minister has already done for future student nurses. We should not forget the student nurses in training and those recently qualified. I look forward to a positive response from the Minister of State.