Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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On 4 November 2021, following the publication of Longer-Term Review of Matters relating to Student Nurses and Midwives, an independent review, conducted by Mr. Seán McHugh at my request (McHugh Report), 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 (PPG) of €100 per week to all eligible nursing and midwifery students on supernumerary placement to the end of the academic year 2021/22.

I also announced additional support to nursing and midwifery students who require 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. Student nurses and midwives (for Academic Year 2021/22) on paid internship placement received additional financial support (50% of the PPG: totalling to €1,800 for the academic year) for the duration of their internship, from 1 January 2022. 

These additional supports arose following the publication of the McHugh report which set out a number of recommendations, including an enhanced Travel and Subsistence scheme for students and matters related to uniforms while attending their supernumerary clinical placements. As this is a significant departure from the current position, I have committed to bringing a further proposal to Government setting out how to deal with this recommendation with effect from the start of the 2022/2023 academic year. Along with my Department I have considered a number of options in relation to this recommendation, so that an enhanced scheme can shortly be put in place that will provide a targeted and more equitable approach to supporting students in undertaking their supernumerary clinical placements.