Mr. Barry O'Brien:

The rationale behind this is that the requirement to possess a midwifery qualification to become a public health nurse has been removed by the nursing body. Accordingly, why would one pay an allowance when there is no requirement to be a midwife to become a public health nurse? There are many other areas of specialties in which nurses are graduating and they wish to enter the public health nurse arena. Up to a short time ago, a nurse had to be a midwife to do so. This has been removed and it is on that basis, solely, that this allowance will be abolished for new beneficiaries.