Student nurses pay deal approved for €100 weekly accommodation allowance

The Cabinet has agreed to new pay measures for student nurses which will see a new accommodation allowance of €100 from next January.

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly briefed Ministers on a new report looking at longer term options for student nurses and midwives pay.

He received Cabinet approval to extend the existing €100 weekly pandemic placement grant until the end of next March. This will cost €5.7 million, it is understood.

The report recommended a scheme of reimbursement for travel and subsistence costs relating to clinical placements.

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It is understood Mr Donnelly will bring further proposals to Government on this for the 2022/2023 academic year but as an interim measure a revised vouched accommodation cap of €100 per week, up from €50.70, will apply from January 1st next.

This can be backdated to the beginning of the academic year which started this September. Mr Donnelly also told Cabinet he is developing proposals on the recommendation in relation to intern pay to apply to 4th year intern student nurses and midwives who are paid employees during placement.

As a temporary measure while these proposals are finalised, these final year students on intern placement will receive 50 per cent of the Pandemic Placement Grant, which is €50 per week. The estimated total cost of the proposals is almost €12.1 million.

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