Student nurses in their fourth-year internship are to receive an increase in payments of about 12.5 per cent. The increase will be one of a number of proposals put forward by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, according to The Irish Times. The aim is for fourth-year students during their 36-week internship in hospitals to earn about 80 per cent of the starting salary of a qualified nurse. The Minister will also put forward a proposal to extend the timescale for the payment of an existing €100 weekly placement grant for student nurses. Minister Donnelly's new initiatives will cost about €6 million per year and Government parties have been briefed on the plans in the past few days.

McHugh report

It follows a review of student nurse payments commissioned by the Minister last year. They will protest outside the Dáil on Tuesday over the delay in publishing the report, known as the McHugh report. At present, student nurses receive the equivalent of an annual salary of €21,749-€22,249 for their 36-week placements in hospitals during their fourth year. The recommendation for a 12.5 per cent increase comes after the McHugh report. Student nurses are currently the only healthcare students paid prior to qualification. Their €100 weekly pandemic placement grant is set to be extended, separate to the 12.5 per cent increase. The €100 payment for about 4,500 student nurses was originally intended to run for the 2020/2021 academic year but it is understood this will now be extended for the 2021/2022 academic year.