Speaking in the Dáil today in support of proper pay and conditions for student nurses and midwives, Social Democrats TD for Cork South-West, Holly Cairns, said:
“The treatment of student nurses, midwives, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, radiographers and others is a glaring example of this Government’s utter indifference towards young people.
“The Taoiseach has argued that student nurses should not get paid because, in fact, they shouldn’t have been working in the first place. We all know, however, that student nurses have been working on the frontline during this pandemic.
“The Government must agree to pay these students what they are entitled to and ensure that our healthcare graduates, who we desperately need, will get jobs in this country. Otherwise, we are just training more staff to work in the UK, Canada or Australia.
“These students deserve more than just platitudes from the Government – they need to be treated with respect and paid properly for their work. It is still not too late to do the right thing.”
January 20, 2021