Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister for Health, I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, in which she obviously has had a keen interest.

Student clinical placements in the health sector are a feature of training and education in a range of health disciplines. These placements build on the academic training received in colleges and universities and provide students with practical experience of a health service working environment. Clinical placements ensure that graduates are then in a better position to take up employment following graduation. Some placements involve the payment of a salary or allowance, while others do not.

Arrangements for a payment to student medical scientists undertaking clinical placement in hospitals were put in place in the 1980s. These arrangements applied to all hospitals where such placements occur. I understand that in recent years a number of hospitals in the Dublin area discontinued this payment to student medical scientists, primarily on cost grounds.

The Health Service Executive is currently examining this issue with a view to determining which hospitals are involved and the number of students affected. This process will be concluded shortly. It will then inform a decision with regard to future payment of this allowance in the hospitals concerned. Here is the old official line: it would not be appropriate for the Minister or for me to prejudge the outcome of this process. However, the Department of Health has assured me there will be no undue delays in dealing with the matter and that the HSE will be communicating with the hospitals concerned in the very near future.

Deputy Tuffy made a compelling case which cut through the verbiage that one regularly hears on these matters. The HSE needs to get its act together because clearly there is a disparity in the payments issued by the various colleges and hospitals. I am informed by another note that the Department has emphasised to the HSE the need to resolve this issue in light of the fact that the Deputy previously raised it in a parliamentary question as long ago as last year. The fact that it has taken this long to come up with a convincing argument on payments dating back to 1981 suggests a certain inadequacy in decision making, if that is not too bold a comment to make. I understand the Department has asked the HSE to clarify the issue and the latter is investigating which hospitals are involved and the number of students affected. When the HSE comes to a conclusion the Department and the Minister will be informed.

See this speech in context