Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is a target and objective of the Government to reduce gender pay inequality. There should not be that level of inequality in terms of payments in public and private sector employment. We will continue to work to reduce that differential. It should not be there.

In terms of student nurses, negotiations have been ongoing for some time. They were successfully concluded in the first phase between the HSE and the INMO in respect of payment to student nurses, particularly fourth year student nurses who were in clinical placements in the hospitals. Negotiations are continuing between the HSE and the INMO and that is where the issue should be resolved.

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