The Irish Nurses' Organisation has sanctioned a national day of protest by student nurses over the failure of the Government to increase grants, reports Padraig Yeates, Industry and Employment Correspondent. The protest will take place on February 12th and will include a march from the INO's head office in Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin, to the Dail.
It is not expected to disrupt hospital services as the 1,500 students involved are college-based.
They receive non-means-tested grants of £2,500 a year, which have not been increased since 1994.
Under the old nurse-training scheme students were hospital-based and were paid up to £200 a week, plus subsistence if required to work away from their teaching hospital.
The INO's deputy general secretary, Mr Liam Doran, said that under the new regime students received no extra payments to cover the cost of travel, food or accommodation when required to do psychiatric or community training.
He also said their opportunities to earn extra were restricted because the academic year lasts 46 weeks.