Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Doherty for raising this important issue. I recognise the importance of student nurses and midwives completing their essential clinical placements in a safe environment and the potential hardship that might arise for students on placement due to Covid-19, as the Senator outlined, such as maintaining part-time employment, increased travel and additional accommodation costs.

Student nurses and midwives are not paid for clinical placements in years one to three, inclusive, and year four from the period of September to December of their studies. This supernumerary status is critical for learning in complex environments. Financial supports for non-intern student nurses and midwives are governed by Circular 9/2004 which provides for an accommodation allowance of up to €50.79 per week to be paid where it is necessary for a student to obtain accommodation away from his or her normal place of residence and a refund of travel expenses. Both are paid as refunds on production of receipts.

Concerning fourth year nursing and midwifery students, the HSE continues to fund the internship employment of these students who are on rostered work placements. This includes those due to commence rostered work placements in January 2021. These student nurses and midwives on rostered work placement are paid at the approved rate, that is, €22,229 on an annual basis for psychiatric nursing specialism and €21,749 for all other nursing disciplines and midwifery. These rates of pay are determined by HSE Circular 005/2016 and are the updated rates in accordance with the consolidated pay scales with effect from 1 October 2020.

In the immediate term, my Department reviewed a number of supports that applied to this year's supernumerary students which includes first, second and third year students and fourth year students from the period of September to December on clinical placements, taking into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on such placements.

Other supports available in 2020 for student nurses and midwives include access to the pandemic unemployment payment for those students who may have lost part-time employment due to Covid-19; enhanced Illness benefit for those students who work part-time but have fallen ill with Covid-19; other welfare schemes to assist with financial hardship due to illness, subject to qualifying criteria, for example, the supplementary welfare allowance and the urgent needs payment; access for eligible students to the national access plan contingency fund and the student assistance fund; and a €250 top-up for those in receipt of the Student Universal Student Ireland, SUSI, grant or a €250 contribution to fees to eligible students. Details of these schemes can be obtained from the Department of Social Protection.

Separately, and for the longer term, the Department is continuing with its review of the current accommodation and travel allowances payable to students on clinical placements. The outcome of this review will apply from the academic year commencing in autumn 2021 onwards. I look forward to examining the outcome of this review in due course.