David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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809. To ask the Minister for Health the reason he considers it not appropriate to repeat the same arrangements for student nurses and midwives currently on, or soon to commence, clinical placement regarding the provision of the report that points out that the Government always has the option to repeat the exercise from April 2020 should the need arise, given the current levels of positive cases of Covid-19 that the healthcare system is dealing with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9568/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Student clinical placements across a variety of care settings are a vital part of nursing and midwifery learning in the educational programmes. Clinical placement learning makes up 50% of these programmes. Placements, where students are immersed in the care environments enables students to develop the practical knowledge, clinical skills and professional behaviours required to qualify and be eligible to join the professional register. Supernumerary clinical student placements ensure learning takes place on the frontline and that the experience is gained under the supervision of a registered nurse or midwife. I want to protect their status as students and protect their graduate programme which has delivered so many benefits.

As the Deputy is aware, supernumerary clinical placements for 1-3rd year nursing and midwifery students were temporarily suspended from the 18th January to support the HSE request to release senior, qualified staff employed to support student placements who had the necessary experience to help directly with the COVID-19 response. However, placements with the necessary supports in place have been gradually resuming and last  week 1,473 ( or 89%) of the 1,659 nursing and midwifery students who were due to be on clinical placement were on placement. This gradual resumption is continuing.