I wish to raise concerns brought to my attention today by a constituent regarding the current situation with nursing education in Ireland. She outlined the situation facing her daughter who, like her mother once did, is applying for a general nursing degree. She highlighted a growing sense of frustration among families and within the profession itself.

While nursing is formally a four-year honours degree, in reality it functions very much like an apprenticeship. Students spend long days on clinical placements, often starting early morning shifts working alongside fully qualified staff in high-pressure environments, yet they receive no pay for that labour. At the same time, they are expected to pay full university fees of €3,000 per year with limited grant support. Many students must work evenings and weekends just to afford basic costs such as transport or a car, while also managing the academic demands of the course and their own work placements.

What is unbelievable is how much has changed. There was a time, not that long ago, when student nurses were instead apprentice nurses and they were paid while they trained. They were recognised as part of the workforce. Now we have a situation where the work is the same, the shifts are still early, the pressure is still high, the responsibility is real but the pay is gone. Students are doing essential front-line work and paying for the privilege of doing so. Let me reiterate that: we have student nurses working full, back-breaking shifts and we are having them pay to do that. That is insanity.

If we are serious about addressing the ongoing shortages of nurses, then we need to rethink this model and examine whether nursing should be an apprenticeship. We must also look at retention. Whether through tax breaks, newly qualified nurses or requirements to remain in the public system for a number of years, we need to ensure that Ireland can train and retain its own nurses rather than losing talent abroad.