Written answers

Thursday, 15 December 2022

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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328. To ask the Minister for Health the progress that has been made on implementing the recommendations from the McHugh report on the conditions and allowances of student nurses and midwives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62945/22]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen 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 practice 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 practice 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.

Following approval by Government last Tuesday, 13 December, I was pleased to announce €9 million in additional supports for student nurses and midwives. €5.4m will be used to introduce an enhanced Travel and Subsistence Scheme for eligible students while attending their supernumerary clinical practice placements. This scheme will provide a targeted and more equitable approach to supporting these students and its main features are set out under:

eligible student nurses and midwives in years 1 to 3 of their studies will see each receive €500 per year as a targeted measure to contribute towards meeting the extra costs of meals associated with practice placements outside the student’s core placement site;

a new rate of €80 for overnight accommodation is being introduced, along with an increased weekly cap of €300, for those eligible students who require accommodation away from their normal place of residence while attending practice placements. This weekly cap is three times the cap introduced on 1st January 2022, and almost six times the previous cap;

student requiring overnight accommodation can also avail of, on a vouched basis, the reasonable cost of uniform laundry services.

The enhanced Travel and Subsistence Scheme will be backdated to the start of the current Academic Year, September 2022.

For student nurses and midwives on their final year internship, I am ensuring that their salary is set in line with the relevant recommendation in the McHugh Report, by increasing their rate of pay to 80% of Point 1 of the Staff Nurse/Midwife pay scale. This measure, worth €3.6 million, demonstrates further the Government's commitment to retaining talent throughout our nursing and midwifery degree programmes and our appreciation for the efforts and dedication shown by students during their crucial final-year internships. Finally, students will also be provided with two additional uniforms at the start of their internship.

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