I will listen to the Minister's reply before I contribute, to expedite matters.

As I mentioned to Deputy Cullinane earlier, I recognise the importance of student nurses and midwives completing their essential clinical placements in a safe environment.  During the first surge of Covid-19 it was not possible to facilitate student placements from April onwards. This was due to redeployment of staff, including senior nurses who would ordinarily be supervising the students. There was a particularly high rate of absenteeism and the HSE’s directors of nursing said they could not ensure clinical placements were protected. There were fears hospitals could be overrun. At the time, there were up to 900 Covid patients in hospitals. Thankfully, the situation has improved. As of Sunday, 6 December, there were 232 Covid patients in hospital.

In April, students were offered healthcare assistant, HCA, contracts to work and contribute to the national effort.  Approximately 1,350 of the 3,200 first to third year students took up HCA roles and contributed to the national effort. All fourth year students were also paid at the HCA pay rate. Given that working as a healthcare assistant does not provide student nurses and midwives with the structured educational outcomes that are part of a graduate programme, it was important to have the students revert to their educational placements as quickly as possible. The HSE’s directors of nursing have said that all student placements have now fully resumed. It is imperative that educational placements are protected for education. Payment at the HCA rate was made during the first Covid wave solely because the student nurses were working as HCAs.

We do not want the student nurses and midwives working as healthcare assistants, but to be full-time students on educational placements. The colleges, which have primary responsibility for these students, have not contacted me or the Department of Education to seek payment for them as healthcare assistants. In fact, I understand that the colleges, which are fully responsible for the students' education, are firmly of the view that these placements are clinical education placements and must be protected as such.

I thank the Minister.

They do not want their students to be paid as healthcare assistants.

There has been a lot of commentary about and criticism of the Government regarding the treatment of student nurses, even prior to Covid-19. If anything can emerge from this situation, particularly in terms of the review, it is how student nurses and nurses are treated. They are extremely dedicated to their vocation. The last nine months have been unbelievably challenging, not only for the student nurses and their families but the people that they care for. I hope the review will identify a number of issues. I was a healthcare assistant for a long time prior to being elected so I understand about student nurses being on placement and that it is an educational environment, but it is also an environment where the healthcare assistants do a significant amount of work and they should be compensated and remunerated for that. The retention of nurses is so important in this environment. When nurses graduate, they want to stay in this country. They are so proud of their job, but they will not stay here if they are constantly exploited and not respected.

I thank the Deputy. We are out of time.

I plead with the Minister that following the review student nurses would be properly paid for the work they do.

We are way over time. The Minister should make just a brief comment. I am sorry but we are moving to Leaders' Questions. The Minister is welcome to make a brief comment.

I will need 60 seconds to respond, but if I do not have that, it is okay.

We do not have 60 seconds. We are moving on to Leaders' Questions. I thank the Minister. Leaders' Questions take precedence. I am sorry about that.