Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 18 Apr 2002

Vol. 552 No. 2

Written Answers. - Nursing Staff.

Liam Aylward

Ceist:

81 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will instruct the South Eastern Health Board to substantially increase its offer of a meal allowance to the student nurses in Waterford Regional Hospital as has been approved by the Western and Mid-Western health boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12178/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The guidelines for the recruitment and selection of students for the nursing registration and diploma programme provides that meals will be available to students on a seven day per week basis without charge in designated health board and hospital restaurants. It is the responsibility of each health board to implement these guidelines within their functional area. Under the previous apprenticeship training programme, first year student nurses were provided with meals and accommodation. Therefore, there was funding in the health board or hospital base allocations to meet part of the costs of providing meals to the students on the nursing registration or diploma programmes. Prior to the commencement of the diploma programmes, the health boards and hospitals agreed to meet the remainder of the costs themselves.

I understand from the South Eastern Health Board that nursing students are provided with free meals. They are provided with swipe cards for the canteen, allowing them to avail of the meals. The system is a checking system and does not inhibit the choice or quantity of food obtained by the students. The board believes this is the most efficient method of ensuring that student nurses receive the meals to which they are entitled.

I understand some of the schools of nursing have entered into a local arrangement to provide a cash or voucher alternative to the provision of meals within their existing resources. My Department has no objection to such arrangements provided that the agreement of the nursing students and the relevant nursing unions is obtained. The South Eastern Health Board acknowledges that psychiatric student nurses in its area receive an allowance in lieu of free meals. This is due to the fact that these students do not have regular access to canteen facilities within psychiatric hospitals by the nature of their training locations.

The South Eastern Health Board was informed by the INO of its intention to proceed with student demonstrations at Waterford Regional Hospital on 12 February 2002. The board put together a substantial financial package to resolve the issue and made two offers to the students on 28 March 2002. The board regrets that both offers were not accepted, is now considering whether a revised offer can be made and is involved in ongoing discussions with the INO representative and the management in Waterford Regional Hospital.