Under the Initiative, graduate nurses and midwives will be paid 80% of the first point of the Staff Nurse Scale. They will also qualify for premium payments and allowances on a pro rata basis, bringing expected average pay to over €25,000 per year, excluding overtime. The employment of graduates in a specific graduate scheme is a widespread practice in other sectors of the economy. The salary level was set having regard to the norms for such programmes and the need to achieve significant savings on nurse agency and overtime expenditure. The scheme was agreed on the basis that significant savings would arise.
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has also agreed that participants in this initiative will not be counted for the purposes of the Health Sector Employment Ceiling. The initiative therefore provides a valuable opportunity for a substantial number of recently-qualified nurses and midwives to work in Ireland at a time when job opportunities in the public service are, regrettably, very limited. The initiative will enable them to gain valuable work experience and development opportunities post-graduation. Given the requirement to achieve reductions in staff numbers in the health sector and to maximise savings, it is not possible at present, other than in very limited circumstances, to offer employment positions.