Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 February 2023
150. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Health if he will grant allowances for student nurses and midwives in line with the expenses incurred as part of their training, and recognising the additional challenges placed on students while they made their extraordinary contribution to the frontline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2934/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI take the opportunity once again to acknowledge the real commitment of all nursing and midwifery students to healthcare and to their education. This was especially evident in recent times and I also thank all nurses and midwives and all healthcare workers for their dedication and commitment.
On 4 November 2021, following the publication of Longer-Term Review of Matters relating to Student Nurses and Midwives, an independent review, conducted by Mr. Seán McHugh at my request (McHugh Report), I announced that the Government had approved my proposal to provide significant additional supports, worth €12m, for student nurses and midwives while attending their clinical practice placements. Among these temporary measures, I extended the Pandemic Placement Grant (PPG) of €100 per week to all eligible nursing and midwifery students on supernumerary placement to the end of the academic year 2021/22.
I also announced additional support to nursing and midwifery students who required overnight accommodation away from their normal place of residence in order to attend some of their clinical practice placements. I doubled the cap on the vouched accommodation allowance to €100 per week of placement. Student nurses and midwives (for Academic Year 2021/22) on paid internship placement received additional financial support (50% of the PPG: totaling to €1,800 for the academic year) for the duration of their internship, from 1 January 2022.
Following approval by Government on 13 December 2022, I was pleased to announce €9 million in additional supports for student nurses and midwives. €5.4m will be used to introduce an enhanced Travel and Subsistence Scheme for eligible students while attending their supernumerary clinical practice placements. This scheme will provide a targeted and more equitable approach to supporting these students and its main features are set out hereunder:
- Eligible student nurses and midwives in years 1 to 3 of their studies will each receive €500 per year as a targeted measure to contribute towards meeting the extra costs of meals associated with practice placements outside the student’s core placement site.
- A new rate of €80 for overnight accommodation is being introduced, along with an increased weekly cap of €300, for those eligible supernumerary students who require accommodation away from their normal place of residence while attending practice placements. This weekly cap is three times the cap introduced on 1st January 2022, and almost six times the previous cap.
- Supernumerary students requiring overnight accommodation will also be able to avail of, on a vouched basis, the reasonable cost of uniform laundry services.
- Supernumerary students will continue to be entitled to a refund of the cost of transport for placements on a vouched basis.
The enhanced Travel and Subsistence Scheme will be backdated to the start of the current Academic Year, September 2022.
For student nurses and midwives on their final year internship, I am ensuring that their salary is set in line with the relevant recommendation in the McHugh Report, by increasing their rate of pay to 80% of Point 1 of the Staff Nurse/Midwife pay scale. This measure, worth €3.6 million, demonstrates further the Government's commitment to retaining talent throughout our nursing and midwifery degree programmes and our appreciation for the efforts and dedication shown by students during their crucial final-year internships. Finally, students will also be provided with two additional uniforms at the start of their internship.
A Letter of Sanction in relation to the above measures has been issued by my Department to the HSE.
