Government Scored ‘Own Goal’ On Paying Nursing Students, Says Fine Gael TDs

The government scored “an own goal” for which Fine Gael “carries the can” on salary for nursing students, as the party’s weekly meeting has heard.

Several TDs expressed disappointment at the way the issue has been portrayed, with TD Colm Burke of Cork North-Central saying that the party had taken more blame for the issue than its coalition partners and had “led the way. can, “while Charlie Flanagan said the party had been” beaten “on the issue.

The government has come under fire for refusing to pay student nurses and midwives the same fee as health care assistants in a vote against a Solidarity-People-Over-Profit bill.

Dublin Mid-West TD Emer Higgins is understood to have criticized the party’s organization around the issue, saying that the Opposition had used the high level of emotion on the issue and made it political. It is also understood that Ms. Higgins expressed some concern that decisions on sensitive issues were driven by public officials.

Sources said Dublin Bay South TD Richard Bruton said plans should be drawn up to ensure parliamentary party members are more aware of motions, such as pay for nurses.

‘Half’

Dublin South-West TD Colm Brophy is understood to have said that the party’s message on the issue had been lost to the point where even members believed that what had happened was “cruel.”

The meeting heard a lot about Brexit, with TDs asking questions about the status of the negotiations.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the deal agreed with former British Prime Minister Theresa May three years ago had proven to be “bulletproof”. He said there will be no firm border on the island of Ireland and that access to the European single market and common travel areas, key priorities at the start of the talks, have been protected.

The Fine Gael leader told his party colleagues that the country “has come this far thanks to the solidarity and unity of the EU.”

He said Brexit negotiations are continuing, but there may not be a breakthrough tonight. At the meeting, it was heard that the future EU-UK trade deal “hangs in the balance.”

Regarding the launch of the Covid vaccines, Mr Varadkar said that the European Medicines Agency will approve on December 29 or maybe earlier.