The mature applicants for general-nursing places who say they were cheated of offers by a mistake in the process are unlikely to gain any satisfaction from the CAO.

However, mature applicants for psychiatric and mental-handicap nursing could yet get offers through the CAO process, which runs until October 15th, according to the chief executive of An Bord Altranais, Eugene Donohue.

This is the first year that nursing offers have been made through the CAO. The error occurred because An Bord Altranais forwarded the CAO a list of applicants in rank order rather than with a "score" rating their ability; the CAO computer read the ranks as scores and, as a result, applicants at the bottom of the list received offers and those at the top did not. The top applicants subsequently got offers too, but those in the middle group feel hard done by because lower-ranked applicants have kept their offers.

The error means many third-level institutions, and hospitals offering clinical placements, must cope with more students and higher costs. In the long term, however, the State's shortage of nurses means all those who take up their places are likely to find employment.

The general-nursing offers "are like gold dust and are unlikely to be rejected", Donohue says. Psychiatric and mental-handicap places had a higher quota for mature students and places are still being offered. If they are not fully subscribed by October 15th, vacant places will be advertised.

This is likely to be the last year nursing students will be entitled to a non-means-tested maintenance grant. By 2003, nursing should be part of the CAO degree list, Donohue says.