€12m supports for Student Nurses and Midwives

Funding welcomed by Minister Heather Humphreys

Significant additional supports, worth €12m, have been allocated for student nurses and midwives while attending their clinical placements.

Minister for Social Protection and Rural & Community Development Heather Humphreys welcome yesterday's announcement, stating: “This is great news for Student Nurses and Midwives.”

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, announced the Government has approved proposals to extend the Pandemic Placement Grant of €100 per week to all eligible nursing and midwifery students on placement for this academic year. It will be backdated to September 2021. This funding will support students attending their clinical placements.

Government is also providing additional support to students needing overnight accommodation away from their normal place of residence in order to attend some of their clinical placements. The Department of Health is doubling the cap on the vouched accommodation allowance to €100 per week of placement.

“These additional supports arise following the Longer-Term Review of Matters relating to Student Nurses and Midwives. The independent review, by Mr. Seán McHugh, sets out recommendations to enhance the current Travel and Subsistence scheme for students in attending their supernumerary clinical placements.

“The Minister will consider these further so that a permanent enhanced scheme can be developed that will provide a targeted and more equitable approach to supporting students in undertaking supernumerary clinical placements from Sept 2022”, Minister Humphreys concluded.