British-trained nurses working in the Irish health system are to be given £6,000 grants to fund their retraining, it was announced yesterday. The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said the grant scheme would help combat the nursing shortage.
He said there were currently several hundred State Enrolled Nurses working in a non-nursing capacity in the health service because their qualifications were not recognised. They will now qualify for a non-means-tested grant of £6,000 to undertake the conversion course in the UK in exchange for a commitment to work as a nurse in Ireland.