James Reilly, Minister for health, has disregarded strategies initially being offered by the former government to eliminate payment for those who are student nurses and midwives throughout their obligatory placement period of 36 weeks in hospitals.
Right after a review that was concluded in current days, the Minister has come to a decision that the level of salary for student nurses as well as midwives shall be minimized in phases throughout the upcoming years.
But the slashes will not be as great as those put down by the previous minister Mary Harney of December last year.
The pay rates for nursing and midwifery students during their fourth year who are venturing on their placement time frame in hospitals in the present year have been arranged to be 76 per cent of the salary of the staff nurse. There will be no changes for this.
For the year 2012, the pay rate for the lineup placement time frame starting from January to August will be placed at 60 per cent of the initial point on the appropriate scale of staff nurse/midwife. The year following this, the pay rate will be cut down yet again up to 50 per cent of the initial point of the appropriate scale of staff nurse/midwife.
In the succeeding years, the amount will be established at 50 percent of the initial point of the pertinent scale of staff nurse/midwife awaiting the nationwide review of the undergraduate nursing course, which has recently just started.
The recommendation initiated by Ms. Harvey, to remove from the year 2015 the fee for student nurses for their time frame of work placement, has been removed.
The initial estimate of the Department of Health was that the slashes suggested by Ms. Harvey would earn €28 million in financial savings.
The Department of Health had formerly also sustained that if the intended slashes in pays for student nurses were turned around, the money concerned would have to be located somewhere else within the area of nursing/midwifery.
A spokeswoman for the department stated last night that the foreword of the latest measures determined by Dr. Reilly might not have revenue significance throughout the next several years. She stated that the revenue significance of measures to come to effect following 2014 could be thought of as an element of the budgetary procedure at that time.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization mentioned yesterday that because of the Minister’s decision, a premeditated nationwide protest in opposition to the slashes that was set on schedule by November 9th would be deferred. It stated that this will permit time for national consultation as well as balloting on the adjusted arrangements.
The executive of the union will assemble on November 7th and 8th to go over the Minister’s decision as well as to come up with a suggestion on the ballot. The ballot is been said to be finished by December 2nd.
The union stated that the Labor Court, the following week, will go over its statement that the Department of Health/HSE broke their responsibility under the information as well as consultation directive.
