Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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398. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to make changes to the pay and remuneration received by nurses participating in the graduate nursing scheme in order that they will have parity of income and remuneration with their colleagues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5573/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Haddington Road Agreement (HRA), nurses and midwives participating in the Graduate Nurse Programme are paid 85% of the first point of the Staff Nurse/Midwifery Scale in the first year, €23,129, and 90% in the second year, €24,490. Slightly higher scales apply for Mental Health Nurses, €23,667 in the first year and €25,059 in the second year, maintaining previous relativities. In addition, participating nurses would also be in receipt of allowances and other premium payments.

The HRA specifies that any subsequent appointment following completion of the Graduate Nurse Programme will be to the third point of the staff nurse salary scales. In addition, under the Agreement, the January 2011 new entrant salary scales have now been assimilated with the scales applicable to those who were in the Public Service prior to January 2011. The Graduate Programme is a HRA provision and the HRA provides for a re-examination of the Programme when the Agreement is being reviewed.

I hope that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.