Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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73. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the €100 per week special payment agreed for student nurses; if all arrears accrued since September 2020 have been paid; and the further steps he will take to recognise the contribution of both student nurses and all other front-line staff to the Covid-19 pandemic. [37734/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will recall that 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 of supernumerary clinical placement was introduced with effect from the start of the current academic year, September 2020. The HSE has confirmed to my Department that the process for paying these grants is now well underway and is expected to be completed shortly.

Regarding recognising the contribution of student nurses and midwives all other front-line staff, I note that a conciliation process is underway at the Workplace Relations Commission between health service management and representative unions. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for me to comment any further, expect to say  I acknowledge frontline healthcare workers’ critical and significant response to this pandemic.