Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this important issue. I join her in acknowledging what she rightly describes as the very important role student nurses play in our health system, in our hospitals and in our community during their training. She is quite right to make that point. Of course, in their fourth and final year, student nurses are paid, but the Deputy is talking specifically about their first to third years as well. My colleague, the Minister for Health, did have an expert review group that looked at that profession in general and how we could support people at all stages of their progression, from the student nurse right through. My understanding is that the report made a number of recommendations in relation to increased levels of support and subsistence, recognising things around travel and accommodation. I truthfully do not have it here in front of me but from my memory, I think it was something that would have been developed in consultation with the likes of the INMO as well. If there is a wish to have further engagement on that with the representatives, we are certainly happy to do just that. The Deputy is right and we can agree on this. We all want a fair deal for those who are providing care, albeit as students, in our hospitals, because that care is invaluable. We want that to be fair. Certainly we had taken some measures to endeavour to address that. Clearly the Deputy is outlining a case that the Minister for Health would be happy to take a look at and maybe raise with nurse representative bodies like the INMO. We were of the view that we had made some progress through that expert review group report but let us take that away. I am very happy to do that.

While we are on the issue, I would make a broader point. The Deputy said not to mention the apprenticeship model which is separate to her question - I get that - but I would make the point that we have tried to broaden the number of places in the country where you can access nurse education. We have tried to partner more with local hospitals in that area. Deputy Mairéad Farrell, who has brought this issue to Deputy McDonald's attention, would know very much how in the Galway area, working now with the tertiary degree programme, we have seen more opportunities for more people to access nursing courses closer to their home and also hopefully their placement in their local or regional hospital. I hope that will have a positive impact. We want more student nurses. We are trying to grow the number of people who are studying nursing. We are growing the number of college places in our healthcare professions. Of course, if there are cases coming through of people who are finding the cost-of-living challenge acute, the Minister for Health will be happy to engage further on that.

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