Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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526. To ask the Minister for Health the status of payments to student nurses; the projected annual costs of implementing a permanent travel and subsistence scheme based on the recommendations of the McHugh Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38348/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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On 4 November 2021, I announced that the Government had approved my proposal to provide significant additional supports, worth €12m, for student nurses and midwives while attending their clinical placements. Among these temporary measures, I extended the Pandemic Placement Grant of €100 per week to all eligible nursing and midwifery students on supernumerary placement to the end of the academic year 2021/22. Currently, HSE officials are working to make sure this grant is paid to any eligible students who have not yet received it. While this process is well underway, I am keen for it to be completed urgently and I have asked the HSE to prioritise this.

I also announced additional support to nursing and midwifery students needing overnight accommodation away from their normal place of residence in order to attend some of their clinical placements. I doubled the cap on the vouched accommodation allowance to €100 per week of placement.

These additional supports arose following the Longer-Term Review of Matters relating to Student Nurses and Midwives. This independent review, conducted by Mr. Seán McHugh at my request , set out a number of recommendations, including in relation to introducing an enhanced Travel and Subsistence scheme for students while attending their supernumerary clinical placements. My Department and I are considering these further so that an enhanced scheme can be put in place for the forthcoming academic year that will provide a targeted and more equitable approach to supporting students in undertaking their supernumerary clinical placements.