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THE GOVERNMENT THAT VOTED against a motion to pay student nurses and midwives has been described as “insensitive” and a “betrayal” that will not be forgotten.
The Solidarity-People Before Profits (PBP) motion was defeated by 77 votes to 72.
Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party voted against the motion, while opposition parties and groups supported it.
The motion called for the immediate reinstatement of payment for nursing students and midwives who are in placements during the Covid-19 pandemic, among other measures.
Source: Oireachtas.ie
A similar motion was rejected in a vote earlier this year.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said that the coalition that voted against the motion was “cold and detrimental to the integrity of public health in this country, especially in light of Covid-19.”
“Politicians of all stripes in the Dáil applauded and saluted these front-line workers who have been fighting this crisis and keeping us all safe, and yet when rubber hits the streets, they would deny these workers a very basic pay and respect scheme.
“Nursing students stood up when asked to protect the people of this country and now the government is slapping them.”
Speaking earlier, before the vote in the Dáil, Boyd Barrett was among those who criticized the fact that Health Minister Stephen Donnelly was not present during the debate.
“I am not saying this lightly, but the absence of the Health Minister, MP Stephen Donnelly, from the House during a debate on thousands of nursing students and midwives who have protected us all, have put themselves in danger and fought in the front line during this pandemic is nothing short of an insult. “
I’m a nursing student.
I hope that each of these TDs will keep an eye on my face in the protests in the coming weeks.
We will not forget and we will not back down.#EducationNotExploitation#SupportStudentNursesAndMidwives pic.twitter.com/QUj4xOxKX7
– Ciarán de Cabra (@Freemanhasaname) December 2, 2020
So every TD stops @greenparty_ie @FineGael @fiannafailparty vote NOT PAYING STUDENT NURSES AND MIDWIVES #PayStudentNursesandMidwives #EducationNotExploitation – not the change people voted for # GE2020
– Brid Smith TD (@bridsmithTD) December 2, 2020
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith said yesterday that he looked back at the coverage of last year’s strike by the Irish Organization of Nurses and Midwives, and saw an “abundance of photographs of smiling Fianna Fáil and Green Party candidates pledging their support. to the cause of nurses ”.
“This betrayal of the next generation will not be forgotten or forgiven by these workers or their families.”
Government response
Speaking yesterday at the Dáil, Health Department Minister of State Mary Butler said: “All nursing and midwifery students, from the first year to the fourth year, have returned to their full-time student capacity since late of September.
“Senior interns will begin their 36-week clinical internships in accordance with the agreed payment and conditions of said internships. These students have agreed learning objectives to ensure that the final stages of learning remain monitored and supported. “
Butler said that while Covid-19 “remains a presence that affects all health services, much more is now known about the virus than was known at the beginning of its first surge.”
“This is evident in the number of Covid-19 positive patients currently requiring acute hospital care. All healthcare workers have access to PPE. While Covid-19 remains a serious threat, the situation now is not what it was in March. This has affected the management and deployment of health workers ”.
Butler stated that Covid-19 “has an impact on the way we all do our work, but this is particularly true for our nursing students and midwives and all of our healthcare workers.” He said that the “compromise” between health sector management, workers and their representatives “will help address concerns as they arise.”
“I once again congratulate nursing students and midwives for the role they played when the pandemic hit the state. The way we all live our lives has changed. The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of supporting work to protect our nursing and midwifery students and their graduate education, ”Butler added.
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Nursing students are underrated and receive terrible treatment. Join the call @INMO_IRL end the exploitation of nursing students and midwives. https://t.co/pgX79cQA4U
– Elevation (@UpliftIRL) December 2, 2020
In a statement issued in October, INMO said that female nursing students and midwives were “being exploited” during the pandemic.
“Trainees in hospitals across Ireland face additional risks from Covid and are being asked to work as unpaid staff.
“Many have also faced loss of income, as they are no longer able to work part-time as care aides while studying, due to the risk of infection from working in a nursing home while also in a hospital.
“Before their last year internship, most nursing students and midwives receive nothing or an allowance of only € 50.79 per week”
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