Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is politics that have left student nurses unpaid. The Tánaiste's coalition party in government put out a statement on its Facebook page suggesting that student nurses are not involved in real work. It was very hurtful. Many student nurses have contacted Deputies across the Chamber, particularly those in opposition, to outline the real work that they do in hospital wards.

Other staff nurses have also contacted us, along with doctors and consultants, as I raised with the Tánaiste last week, and they acknowledge that if it was not for the student nurses, the system would simply collapse because it is under severe pressure.

Last week, a motion was brought forward by Teachtaí Dála, messengers of the people, and they carried a clear message to this Parliament that the public wants to make sure that our student nurses, who have stepped into the breach in the middle of a pandemic and put themselves and their families at risk, should be rewarded, and should not be expected to staff our wards during this pandemic and be paid nothing for it. That is what was contained in the motion put forward by Teachtaí Dála. The Government proposed an amendment that gave no commitment to paying student nurses for the work they have done.

This is a political issue because the Government has decided to turn its face against it. The Government is now coming under sustained pressure. We will not give up until student nurses are properly remunerated for the work they have done. The Government should hear the calls loud and clear from the public right across the State that they fully back the student nurses in this demand.

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