Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has called on the Minister for Health to step up to the plate and pay student nurses.

Teachta Cullinane said:

“Student nurses and midwives deserve to be paid. They are the glue holding our public health system together.

“They perform duties far beyond their educational requirements, often filling gaps in employment caused by illness or vacancies.

“This has been particularly acute during Covid, as more than 11,000 healthcare workers have contracted the virus over the last number of months.

“Student nurses have reached out to us about work restrictions due to cross-contamination prevention measures.

“These are reasonable measures, which the students accept, to protect patients. But they mean that students have to forego part-time work that they need to pay rent and bills.

“They cannot forego the placement as it is required for their degree.

“We must ensure that student nurses are financially supported to finish their placements and studies.

“They need to be paid fairly for the work they do. They must be treated as workers as well as students, and their student status should not be used to undermine their rights to fair pay.”