The issue of pay for student nurses can't be looked at without also considering the rest of the public sector, the Finance Minister has said.
Paschal Donohoe says he 'deeply respects' the work of nurses, but he's also conscious of the work other public service staff are doing.
Student nurses and midwives were briefly paid for their work at the beginning of the pandemic, but earlier this week a Dáil motion calling for that to be reinstated was rejected by the Government.
It has led to increasing calls from students, the INMO and opposition parties for trainee nurses to be paid for their work.
Yesterday, the Health Minister confirmed student nurses who lost other part-time work due to COVID-19 will now be able to claim the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar also announced that a review is being carried out into the issue of paying students for placements.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Minister Donohoe said the issue has to be considered as part of broader public pay negotiations.
He said: "In October, we went ahead with the final installment of an increase in public service pay, to honour an agreement we had with all of our public service workers.
"What we have done is try to help student nurses who are no longer working, and we are looking at the issue of student nurses.
"But we do have to look at in parallel to other students or people who are beginning their career all over the public service."
He noted that the latest round of public service wage negotiations have just begun, and it's essential everyone is treated 'equally and fairly'.
He said: "As much as I respect - and I deeply do - the work our nurses do, I'm conscious of the work of all of our other public service workers as well."
'Policy matter'
Meanwhile, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said the work of student nurses is 'very different' than what fully qualified ones do.
He said: "They are now part of their colleges. They are back in their colleges and the colleges have oversight.
"We recognise hugely what student nurses and indeed the whole health workforce has done for us through the pandemic.
"I have never seen so much flexibility - and I have worked in the private sector for 30 years.
"In terms of issues of pay, ultimately it is a policy matter and... this is a tricky one because there are a lot of trainees. There are a lot of trainee colleges and there are a lot of trainee students, not just in nursing, that work in the health service."
