Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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264. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department and the HSE will review their policy for student nurses renumeration and show regard to frontline workers that worked at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in view of the fact that many students returning to college in coming weeks are facing into a period of hospital placement for which they will receive no pay however are forced to give up part-time work in other healthcare settings due to cross-contamination and to prevent the spread of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22789/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I would like, once again , to acknowledge the outstanding contribution of nursing and midwifery students in supporting the national effort during the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is essential that clinical placements can now re-commence for all healthcare students in line with the requirements of their courses and to ensure the continuation of a sustainable workforce into the future.

I would like to advise the Deputy that guidance on the resumption of clinical placements was recently issued by the Chief Clinical Officer of the HSE to all Higher Education Institutes and copied to healthcare providers. This guidance included a revised version ( dated 17 August, 2020) of the HSE's document - Infection Prevention and Control Requirements for Clinical Placements in HSE facilities in the context of COVID-19. This document, among other things, sets out the requirement for Infection Prevention and Control Training for all students. It also underlines that clinical placements are an essential part of students' education and training, ensuring that they will continue to receive the breath of clinical experience that they require.

According to this guidance, students can move from a placement in one setting to a placement in another without an interval of time, provided they complete a COVID-19 Healthcare Worker Relocation Self Risk Assessment prior to commencing in a different location. Similarly, if a student continues part-time work in a healthcare setting during the same period as attending clinical placements, they are required to complete this self-assessment on an ongoing basis so that any need for testing may be identified. The guidance makes it clear that students should not present on clinical placement if they have any symptoms of acute infection. Overall, the guidance facilitates students in completing their education and training and in doing so it does not preclude them from working part time so long as they adhere to the infection prevention and control requirements. In terms of financial supports there is a travel/accommodation allowance which amounts to €50.79 a week to support those students to access the clinical placements they require.