Govt to introduce annual €500 allowance for student nurses and midwives

The new plans have been agreed by Cabinet as part of a €9m package.

Student nurses and midwives are to receive €500 a year during the first three years of their studies, to cover the extra costs of meals needed during practice placements outside of the student’s core placement site.

The newly approved plans will also see student nurses and midwives paid at 80% of the wage of a starting staff nurse or midwife during their final-year internships.

Students who need to live away from home while attending practice placements may also receive an €80 nightly rate for accommodation, with allowances of up to €300 per week for those who need to stay away from home for longer.

Students benefiting from the payments can also avail of the reasonable cost of uniform laundry services during periods of overnight accommodation, on a vouched basis. They will also be provided with two extra uniforms at the start of their internship.

INMO student and new graduate officer Roisin O’Connell welcomed the changes, and said that these kind of steps were needed to keep nurses and midwives in the country after they qualify.

Students are affected by the same cost-of-living challenges as their qualified colleagues, with many of them struggling to meet the costs of transportation, fuel, heating, accommodation, and other necessities for completing their training, she said.

Travel is a big part of student placements, but some students will have to pay for accommodation in two places. Supports for these really significant expenses and for uniforms will mean a lot to our student members.

Header image via Shutterstock 

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