Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On my first day in the Dáil, I spoke about hospitals. I have said that every person training in this country, whether they are an apprentice blocklayer or an intern, should get paid. I ask the Minister to ensure the male and female student nurses on whom we depend are paid properly. They are the people on whom we have depended all our lives, and never more than during Covid-19.

I now turn to the €100 that the Government is seeking from the nurses. I would like to read a small extract from a letter I have received from a nurse:

The disrespect shown to us, especially today has tipped many of us over the edge. If the Irish government had one scrap of decency, they'd pay our retention fee this year.

Every other healthcare worker in the world is being rewarded for working through Covid but once again we're being punished.

A round of applause was all we are worth. Enough is enough.

I and so many more will spend Christmas in work and not with our families ... we sacrifice so much and get absolutely nothing in return.

That is from a nurse. This disrespect from the Government is what our student nurses have to look forward to. The Scottish Government has rewarded its front-line staff with £500 this Christmas, but the Irish Government says "No". Instead they are to be charged €100. That is serious disrespect.

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