Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 195: To ask the Minister for Health the reason fourth year student nurses who are entering their fourth year internship within the hospital system, and who will work a 37 hour week as full members of staff under supervision, now face a further reduction in their wages; and the progress made in reviewing the situation facing staff nurses. [27759/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Last Autumn the previous Government decided to implement a range of budgetary measures including the phased abolition of pay to student nurses when undertaking the rostered placement, with progressive reductions from 2011 to 2014 and abolition from 2015. This decision was also made in the context of the favourable manner, compared with other countries, in which Ireland has treated student nurses as paid employees for part of their education programme while giving them the same status as other university students.

Following my appointment, I requested a review of this decision and invited the nursing unions to become involved in the process. I also advised that a more general review of the degree programme for nurses would follow. The promised review of the pay issue is under way at present.