Responding to queries from nurses on the canvas in Dublin South West Sean Crowe
gave a commitment to rescind the cuts in health spending particularly the cuts wages
imposed on final year nursing students

In a statement Sean Crowe said, “We in Sinn Fein have had serious concerns about
the deterioration in wages and conditions of nurses and other frontline health service
workers for some time. The new cuts and changes in work practices are unacceptable
and Sinn Fein is opposed to them.”

“We will in government reverse the unfair and unjust decision to cut the pay of
final year students. We feel it is part of a long term strategy by Fianna Fail and the
Greens to have this work unpaid. Such a scenario has emerged as part of the so
called “activation measures” announced by the coalition government.”

“Sinn Fein firmly believes that the working conditions of nurses needs improvement
and that the student nurses must be seen as skilled entry level workers and not be
demoted to being on unpaid internships.”

“We also believe, confirmed by my own first hand experience from involvement in
the Tallaght Hospital Action Group and the Dublin Mid Leinster Health Forum, that
the nurse’s plight is part of a wider strategy to erode the quality of care and standard
of service in the public health sector.”
“Sinn Fein’s budget proposals, which were costed, included a commitment to
maintain frontline health services and to keep low paid workers out of the tax net,
particularly the injustice of the new Universal Charge.”