John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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266. To ask the Minister for Health the decisions that have been taken to pay student nurses and midwives for work whilst on placement; the details of any decisions; and when students will receive any moneys due. [24950/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, in the context of COVID-19, I appointed Professor Tom Collins to undertake a short-term review of the current allowances available to student nurses and midwives while on clinical placement. His report was submitted to me on 31 December 2020.

The key recommendation in the Report called for the introduction of an additional and exceptional Student Nurse/Midwife Pandemic Placement Grant (PPG) at a rate of €100 per week for each week spent on supernumerary clinical placement, to be introduced from January 2021, for the duration of the pandemic. I instructed that payment be backdated to the start of the academic year, i.e. 1 September 2020.

My Department recently instructed the HSE to process payment of the PPG and on 6 May 2021, the HSE issued a Memorandum to give effect to this and commence payment for all eligible student nurses and midwives to be complete by 1 June 2021.