Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 December 2020
260. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on whether the lack of payment for student nurses and midwives will result in nursing and midwifery studies becoming less desirable; his further views on whether healthcare courses should be made more attractive to study following from a global pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44075/20]
View answerThe payment of student nurses and midwives is a matter for the Department of Health.
As you know, student nurses and midwives were paid as healthcare assistants in the earlier part of the pandemic while clinical placements were suspended.
An initial assessment of student placements for nurses and midwives has been conducted. The Minister for Health has also stated that a short, time-limited examination will now be completed before the end of December in relation to the current allowances to 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students and the situation for 4th year students. He has said the review will be independently verified and will include engagement with representative organisations.
Following the initial assessment, there is now a specific exemption for student nurses and midwives, for which the Minister for Health secured Government approval, which entitles them to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) for the duration of their placements since they have not been able to work part time as they would have previously. These payments will be backdated to the start of their placements from September 2020.
I am not aware of any lack of desirability to undertake the educational processes necessary to graduate from nursing or midwifery degree courses, or wider healthcare courses.
A large number of students apply for places in healthcare courses each year through the CAO. Health and welfare is the most popular category of courses, with 15,300 CAO applicants placing a Health and Welfare course as their first preference choice on the CAO. However only 5,800 of these were successful in gaining a place in a health and welfare course, as entry to these courses is highly competitive and there is consistently high demand.
Table 1: CAO First preferences and acceptances by subject area, 2019
|
Subject Area |
First Preferences |
Acceptances |
|
Health and Welfare |
15287 |
5815 |
|
Business, administration and law |
12450 |
7278 |
|
Arts and Humanities |
11673 |
9006 |
|
Engineering, manufacturing and construction |
6678 |
3767 |
|
Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics |
5920 |
4362 |
|
Social sciences, journalism and information |
5445 |
2835 |
|
Education |
5285 |
2452 |
|
Information and Communication Technologies |
3967 |
2390 |
|
Services |
2360 |
1070 |
|
Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary |
1837 |
706 |
|
All Courses |
70902 |
39681 |
This is particularly true in the case of nursing and midwifery. As can be seen in the table below there are consistently many more applicants than places which would indicate that these professions are seen as highly desirable options for those entering higher education.
Table 2: First preference applications and net acceptances in CAO nursing and midwifery courses, 2015 - 2019
|
Year |
First Preferences |
Acceptances |
|
2019 |
5415 |
1949 |
|
2018 |
5694 |
1929 |
|
2017 |
5579 |
1898 |
|
2016 |
5930 |
1753 |
|
2015 |
5439 |
1701 |
My Department is committed to the provision of graduates for the health service through undergraduate and postgraduate provision, with the key competencies and skills to be effective in the health workforce and allow for growth and upskilling in the future.
My Department is represented on the Cross-Departmental group on Workforce Planning and will engage with the group and the Department of Health as necessary to ensure the effective delivery of skilled personnel into the future.
