Written answers

Tuesday, 13 July 2021

Photo of Thomas GouldThomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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155. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to paying student travel allowances paid to students on placement from a student’s address given that colleges are teaching online and many students have not rented accommodation close to colleges in 2020. [43214/20]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware allowances are made available to support student nurses and midwives to attend their supernumerary placements on clinical sites. These placements have been continuing throughout the Pandemic and were only paused for a short time during the first and third waves. This occurred when the HSE required those staff who are normally assigned to support student education to be released to care for patients with COVID-19.

The payment of clinical placement allowances to student nurses and midwives while on supernumerary clinical placement is governed by Department of Health Circular 09/2004.  This Circular provides for student nurses and midwives, in years 1-3 and the first semester of year 4, to receive a weekly accommodation allowance, currently of up to €50.79 per week should their placement be away from their normal place of residence. It also covers reimbursement of their vouched travel costs. Payment of allowances has been continuing during the Pandemic. 

The Deputy will recall that in October 2020, I appointed Professor Tom Collins to conduct a short-term review of these allowances in the context of the pandemic, acknowledging that students may have been experiencing challenges as a result of the public health restrictions in place. including while travelling to and from clinical placements,  Professor Collins reported to me in December 2020. Following my  acceptance of the key recommendation in the Collins report, a student nurse/midwife Pandemic Placement Grant (PPG) of €100 per week for each week spent on supernumerary placement was introduced with effect from the start of the current academic year, September 2020.  The PPG is un-vouched and paid to every student nurse and midwife for every week of their supernumerary  clinical placement.  In addition to the PPG,  students can continue to avail of the existing travel and accommodation allowances,  

I also directed that a second longer-term review take place. This review will include an examination of the existing clinical placement allowances payable to student nurses and midwives on supernumerary clinical placement as well as pay for the final-year internship placement. Conducted by Mr Sean McHugh, this review has commenced its work and while the HSE cyberattack has delayed progress , I expect to receive the report by the end of July.

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