News | MATT CARTHY TD

Full investigation needed into rouge vet practices

Full investigation needed into rouge vet practices – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture Matt Carthy TD has said Minister McConalogue must work with his northern counterpart to launch a full, all-Ireland, investigation into rogue veterinarian practices providing anti-microbial products in an improper manner.

Deputy Carthy was speaking in response to revelations in the Irish Farmers Journal that their journalists had successfully purchased veterinary antibiotics having provided a fake name and address at veterinary practices in both the north and south.

Teachta Carthy said:

“A new European Regulation intended to combat anti-microbial resistance may well see all veterinary medicinal products require a veterinarian prescription from the beginning of next year in this state.

“Over the past number of months the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee has heard from those in the Licensed Merchant sector as to how they fear for their businesses if this occurs.

“Here we have genuine businesses being banned from plying their trade while at the same time it appears that a blind eye is being turned to rogue actors in the sector.

“This disparages all those veterinarian practices that properly adhere to regulations and I commend those practices who refused to dispense to the journalists involved. The correct dispensing of anti-microbial products is crucial for human health as much as animal welfare.

“These revelations will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the matter, however. For decades there has been a failure to tackle this head on.

“Last year Longford District Court issued an invitation to then Minister Creed to attend the court on this very issue. In that case, one department veterinary surgeon described how tackling this was becoming more difficult due to departmental cutbacks and an absence of political will.

“The Minister must engage with his northern counterpart, Gordon Lyons, to immediately launch a full inquiry into these practices in order to shed light on this dangerous behaviour.

“I will be bringing this to the attention of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee in the coming weeks and asking that the Committee demand a full investigation into these practices”.

ENDS

Government ‘tone deaf’ on Fuel Poverty

Government ‘tone deaf’ on Fuel Poverty – Matt Carthy TD

Cavan Monaghan TD, Matt Carthy, accused as ‘tone deaf’ government TDs that voted against a Sinn Féin motion on combatting Fuel Poverty.

The Sinn Féin motion called for Fuel Allowance to be granted to PUP recipients as well as provide for a double payment for two weeks in February.

The government amended the motion to remove calls for additional supports and replace them with an outline of the existing government position.

Deputy Carthy, speaking during the debate on the motion, told the Dáil:

“I often wonder what type of mentality would allow a system that requires somebody to be unemployed and on jobseeker’s payments for more than 15 months before qualifying for the fuel allowance to remain in place for so long.

“How petty is that?

“The fact that this provision has remained in place and is in place in the midst of a global pandemic speaks volumes.

“This motion is very simple. It is about allowing people who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic to get support for their heating bills. It is about giving them the fuel allowance and extending the fuel allowance to as many people who need it as possible. It is also about increasing the payments for two weeks in February for all people in receipt of the fuel allowance. It is very simple and just.

“It is a small token on the part of the State to recognise the difficulties that people are experiencing.

Choices

“Once again, this is about choices. Many people will look at the Government’s response to this motion and at the choices it has made. The Government made a choice to increase the carbon tax again, a tax that will affect lower-income families and workers disproportionately.

“It made a choice to increase the salary of the Secretary General of the Department of Health by €81,000 and to appoint God knows how many additional special advisers at exorbitant rates of pay. It also made the choice to increase the pay of its Ministers of State, but it chose not to support our student nurses.

“The Government has made the choice not to support this motion. The amendment from the Government is embarrassing. Essentially, it confirms that the Government is tone deaf when it comes to the reality for people who are facing the crisis of their lives as a result of losing their jobs during the pandemic. I commend Deputy Claire Kerrane’s motion to the House. I urge Deputies to reject the Government’s amendment and to stand by the people who need a little support in this crisis in their lives”.

Following the debate, Deputy Carthy expressed further frustration, stating:

“We’ve seen a particularly cold period over the past fortnight.

“That the government would oppose providing additional funds in the midst of a cold snap, that it fails to recognise that people on the PUP may now be in need of assistance, it beggar’s belief.

“Fuel poverty levels today stand at the same level they stood in 2006. If this government is serious about addressing fuel poverty it should reverse course and support Sinn Féin’s proposals”.

ENDS

Landmark High Court ruling on Business Interruption Insurance must be followed by Government action

Landmark High Court ruling on Business Interruption Insurance must be followed by Government action – Matt Carthy TD

Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, has welcomed the High Court ruling that four pubs are entitled to compensation from FBD Insurance for business interruption as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deputy Carthy said that this must be followed by action from government whom he accused of giving a free reign to the Insurance Industry. He commended his party colleague, Pearse Doherty, who has been spearheading the campaign for insurance reform and who last week wrote to the Governor of the Central Bank and the Minister for Finance requesting that the Central Bank put in place a Business Interruption Insurance Examination to ensure that claims are processed by insurers without businesses being dragged through the courts.

Teachta Carthy said:

“This High Court ruling was a victory – not only for the four pubs that took this case against FBD Insurance – but for struggling businesses throughout the State who hold similar policies with FBD and other insurance companies.

“While the FCA in Britain took a court action against eight insurers on behalf of thousands of businesses with different types of policies, the Central Bank has taken no such action.

“That must now change.

“Insurers cannot be allowed to continue dragging their heels by refusing valid claims from small businesses that are fighting for their very survival in this pandemic.

“Since March last year Sinn Féin, through Pearse Doherty, has been calling on the Central Bank to intervene in what we said risked becoming the tracker mortgage scandal of the insurance industry.

“We have now called on the Governor of the Central Bank to put in place a Business Interruption Insurance Examination, similar to the Tracker Mortgage Examination.

“This would require an audit of policies held by businesses, clear expectations set out for insurers under each type of policy, intensive engagements and intrusive supervision.

“The consequences for insurers that refuse or delay payment of valid claims for business interruption should be severe, with strict enforcement and heavy financial sanctions.

“This examination should follow the structure of the Tracker Mortgage Examination, with swift outcomes, strict enforcement and heavy sanctions for insurer malpractice.

“It is time for the Central Bank to step up to the plate and defend the interests of policyholders. And, crucially it is time for the government to stop giving a free reign to the Insurance companies. It will not be lost on struggling businesses, families and businesses, as they read statements from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael representatives welcoming the High Court judgement, that it was the inaction of those parties that forced businesses to go to court in the first place.”

ENDS

“Government still not listening” – Carthy dismisses Pensions announcement

“Government still not listening” – Carthy dismisses Pensions announcement

Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, has dismissed this week’s announcement by government regarding pensions as ‘nothing more than a name change’ and he accused Ministers of still not listening to those people who rightly demand that the right to a pension should be in place for people at the age of 65.

Deputy Carthy said:

“This year marks the anniversary of the 2020 General Election. During that campaign the electorate clearly agreed with Sinn Féin’s proposition that those who wish to retire at 65 should be entitled to the state pension.

“This week’s government announcement is nothing more than a name change which does not alter the fundamental problem of this government turning its back on people who should be entitled to retire. They simply haven’t listened.

“People retiring at the age of 65 will still be worse off, as they will receive the same rate of Jobseekers. This amounts to €203 per week, which is a loss of €45 per week.

“Essentially over €2,000 per year will continue to be taken from pensioners’ pockets. It is grossly unfair and frankly insulting when people have worked hard all their lives and paid into the system.

“It is appalling that the government is trying to brand this as an improvement while they continue to fail people who want the option to retire.

“I am very clear that the State Pension Transition must be restored. Those retiring from work, many after a lifetime of work, should be able to access a State Pension payment.

“We also need to look at choice in retirement as well. People who wish to continue working should have the choice to do so.

“This Government needs to get real about the financial reality facing many people who want to retire but are unable to do so because of this Government’s failure to provide supports that they should be entitled to.

“Ministers are divorced from reality if they think that people will be convinced by this disingenuous branding exercise. They must do better and bring about the reform needed for people to work and retire fairly and with dignity.

“This issue isn’t going away. For our part, Sinn Féin will continue to hold the Government to account on this until they scrap this unfair policy.”

ENDS

Government must facilitate comprehensive analysis of CETA trade deal before ratification

Government must facilitate comprehensive analysis of CETA trade deal before ratification – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin Agriculture Spokesperson, Matt Carthy, has accused the Government of attempting to use the cover of crunch Brexit negotiations to sneak through a vote on the controversial CETA trade deal in the Dáil this week. He said that there was a need for a comprehensive analysis of the implications of the deal before any ratification vote comes before the Oireachtas.

Deputy Carthy said:

“For over four years now Sinn Féin has been calling for a substantive Dáil debate on the EU-Canadian Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA). Despite repeated requests, successive governments have blocked any discussion on the deal.

“Yet, with little warning they attempted to rush through a short debate and quick ratification in the last Dáil this week in the midst of crunch Brexit negotiations. That such a vote would take place with no consideration to the genuine concerns that have been raised by farmers, environmentalists, Trade Unionists, small businesses, and others; is deeply worrying.

“CETA is not a trade deal like we traditionally know them. It’s part of what the European Commission calls a series of ‘new generation trade deals’. By this they mean that the primary concern of CETA and similar agreements isn’t the reduction of tariffs, the historical purpose of trade deals. The ‘new generation’ deals are instead about the elimination of ‘non-tariff barriers’.

“But ‘non-tariff barriers’ is just another term to describe the protections that are in place to defend the environment, the rights of workers and progressive policies of a state.

“At the heart of CETA and similar deals is the inclusion of an Investor Court System. This is a new court only accessible to foreign (in this case Canadian) multinational corporations. It gives those corporations the right to sue national governments in Europe for compensation for the loss of expected future profits in response to government actions that impact on the company’s activities. In the past these types of courts have been used to target minimum wage increases, tobacco regulations, bans on fracking and public ownership policies.

“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil representatives have suggested that CETA will create jobs and increase economic growth. There is no evidence that it will do either. In fact, all indicators point to the fact that, if there are to be winners, it will be multinationals at the expense of indigenous Irish-owned companies.

“The full implications of the deal are unknown because the Irish government have refused to carry out a detailed analysis of what it will mean, even for our most important and vulnerable indigenous sectors. Many farmers, for example, are alarmed at the risks CETA and similar deals will present to Irish agriculture, especially the beef sector. The Canadian deal alone allows an additional 50tonnes of beef to enter the EU market but nobody can tell what level Irish product will be distorted by this because the government hasn’t bothered to assess the threat. Clearly, post Brexit, the implications could be even worse, and that might explain why the government intended to push this deal through the Dáil in the last sitting week of 2020.

“The difficultly with CETA is that, of those who have examined its implications, the vast majority have concluded that the risks far outweigh the benefits, not only for Ireland but for the EU as a whole and for Canada also.

“Once CETA is ratified it cannot be undone. That is why so many people have expressed concern at the rushed nature of the government’s actions.

“If they are so confident that this trade agreement will be good for Ireland, then surely Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will not object to a robust public debate on the matter. Surely, they will conduct a full impact assessment. The fact that they have done neither to date should be evidence enough that many of the concerns are justified”.

ENDS

Minister must explain rationale for stalling Convergence

Minister must explain rationale for stalling Convergence – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture Matt Carthy TD has said Minister McConalogue must explain his decision not to proceed with the convergence of CAP farm payments during the transitionary period.

Deputy Carthy was speaking further to a parliamentary question in which the Minister confirmed that his intention is to ‘rest’ convergence once more this year.

Teachta Carthy said:

“It is widely recognised that there is an inherent unfairness in the distribution of CAP Farm payments as a small minority of farm enterprises draw down exorbitant payments while most family farmers struggle with relatively meagre supports. This is due to an archaic ‘entitlement’ regime that bases farm payments on historic reference years.

“This unfairness needs to be addressed. Sinn Féin advocate for a front-loaded payment per hectare with a maximum Pillar 1 payment limit of €60,000 per annum.

“Successive Irish governments have compounded the inequalities in the distribution of CAP payments and it appears that Minister McConalogue intends to continue to that vein.

“He has confirmed to me that he does not intend to continue the convergence of payments during the transition period. He needs to explain why he has decided to do this and what, if anything, he plans to do to ensure a fairer distribution of payments.

“While in opposition the Minister was firmly committed to convergence, this time last year chastising the then Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed TD for not continuing the practice through the transition period.

“His position is particularly bewildering considering farmers in his home county of Donegal will benefit to the tune of €12million in the event of a full flattening.

“The only ‘stability’ or ‘certainty’ this will provide to many farmers is that they will continue to be treated in an unfair manner for at least one year more.

“The approach that the Minister will pursue is becoming evident. It seems that he will delay and frustrate any and every opportunity to re-distribute farm payments just as his predecessors have done. By doing so, he will be doing a huge disservice to the majority of farming families and the rural economies that depend on them.

“The evidence points to an EU move towards enforcing convergence measures. Rather than wait to be forced, the Minister should be proactively working to correct the historical imbalances in Irish farm supports.”

Parliamentary Question by Deputy Matt Carthy

Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the convergence that will take place for CAP payments in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1084/21]

Written answer by Minister Charlie McConalogue

Convergence is a feature of the current CAP and the new CAP proposals intend to continue with this policy. Ireland has supported this element of these proposals. Convergence aims to redistribute and flatten the value of CAP payment entitlements and like all elements of the CAP, there are differing views regarding its implementation.

Under the current CAP, some €93million was redistributed from farmers with payment entitlements values above the national average to raise the value of payment entitlement held by farmers that were below the national average. This was implemented in a planned, phased manner over the five years of the Basic Payment Scheme and the steps of the convergence were notified to each farmer. This period of planned convergence ended in 2019 following its successful implementation.

The regulations regarding the transition period enable member states to continue convergence during the transition period, if they so wish. In order to provide for stability, some certainty for farmers and consultation on CAP measures, Ireland chose to rest convergence during the years 2020 and 2021.

I am reflecting on the approach that should be adopted and I will continue engagement with the relevant stakeholder organisations. I am mindful that any decision on convergence during the transition period is interlinked with plans for convergence in the new CAP. The regulations for the new CAP period have not yet been finalised.

ENDS

€81,000 pay increase to Health Secretary General “Stinks to High Heavens”

€81,000 pay increase to Health Secretary General “Stinks to High Heavens” – Matt Carthy TD

The government decision to increase the pay of the Secretary General in the Department of Health by €81,000 per annum “stinks to the high heavens”. That was according to Cavan Monaghan TD, Matt Carthy, when he spoke at the Public Accounts Committee last Friday.

The Sinn Féin representative said that cabinet Ministers still had to answer questions as to how they signed off on such an extravagant salary hike at a time when many families were struggling to cope with the financial implications of the pandemic.

Speaking during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, Deputy Carthy said in relation to the pay hike:

“This stinks to high heaven. There is no other way of describing it.

“Essentially, a job is teed up for a former Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, who is now moving into a new Department. There are so many questions regarding the role of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the first instance.

“Regarding the governmental impact of it, it is clearly a source of concern for many that this would lead to a situation whereby other high-level public servants would seek significant pay increases in line with what has been proposed for the Secretary General of the Department of Health. There is no rationale, economic or political, for this decision. The silence has been deafening in the official response to the issue.

“Anybody looking at the remit of the Committee of Public Accounts would have to say that we have an obligation, let alone a right, to delve into how this matter was addressed. I ask whether there is a remit to ensure that this decision is reversed, because it sends out all the wrong signals. Public servants are on a two-tier pay scale where newer entrants are operating under worse conditions than their colleagues working alongside them, whether it be in schools or other public services.

“We must tackle this issue in a robust manner to ensure full transparency in respect of what happened but also so that there is accountability on why the decision was made and whether it can be reversed”.

ENDS

Carthy hits out at PUP Tax Bills as a ‘kick in the teeth’, urges Minister Humphreys to reconsider

Carthy hits out at PUP Tax Bills as a ‘kick in the teeth’, urges Minister Humphreys to reconsider

Local Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has called on the Minister for Social Protection. Heather Humphreys, to reverse the decision to retrospectively tax Pandemic Unemployment Payments (PUP) received last year by those who lost their job as a result or Covid-19 restrictions.

As the payment was introduced initially as an urgent needs payment it was not liable for tax under Irish law up until August 5^th. The government amended legislation in November to allow it levy income tax on the payment prior to then.

In a Dáil Debate Deputy Carthy said that this was a ‘kick in the teeth’ for those affected, he questioned whether the Minister had objected to the retrospective taxation and he called on Minister Humphreys to ‘protect those people in receipt of payments’.

Deputy Matt Carthy

The Minister will be aware that the decision to tax the pandemic unemployment payment came as a shock to people who were already feeling very vulnerable. On several occasions, I have heard people refer to it as a “kick in the teeth”. The Minister will be aware that the PUP was introduced as an urgent needs payment. Under section 126 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 such payments were exempt from taxation for the 20 weeks up to 5 August when they were put on a statutory footing.

The job of the Minister for Social Protection in many respects is to protect those people in receipt of these payments. When did the Department of Finance first bring to the attention of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, its intention to tax these payments and did she raise any objection to that proposal?

In light of the statement by the Free Legal Aid Centre that the taxation of these payments for that period could be unconstitutional, did the Minister seek any legal advice in that regard?

Minister Heather Humphreys

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. All legislation enjoys the assumption of constitutionality. The Minister for Finance determines taxation policy. The legislation has gone through both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Finance are of the view that it is constitutional. The Minister for Finance and the Revenue Commissioners are clear on this issue.

The position is that the PUP is taxable. It is important to remember that payments from the Department of Social Protection are, in general, taxable sources of income. For example, jobseeker’s benefit payments are taxable. The PUP follows this general taxation rule for social welfare payments.

The data show that in the case of people who are on PUP only, more of them are due a refund than are due to pay extra tax. In the case of lower-income households or those whose income solely comprises social welfare payments, a liability to tax typically does not arise because the value of social welfare payments received in a tax year is usually not liable for tax. Revenue will be adopting a fair and flexible approach to collecting tax due on payments made under the PUP scheme. Revenue has also given assurances that if any income tax and USC liability still arises following the allocation of the unused tax credits, it will work with PUP recipients to collect the outstanding liabilities.

Matt Carthy

With respect, I could have read that statement. I asked the Minister a specific question regarding when she was informed about this issue and whether she raised any objections.

Heather Humphreys

The Deputy did not have the text of the statement and could not have read it.

Matt Carthy

I am taking it that she did not raise any objections. The truth of the matter is that these payments were not taxable until the Government changed the law in November of last year.

Since then, in the early weeks of this year, people who were not expecting them have been receiving tax bills of up to €1,400. This is a retrospective measure. People who received the PUP as an urgent need payment in the early part of this pandemic had every right to expect that it would not be taxed.

I find it ironic that in the week following the revelation that Irish billionaires have increased their wealth by €3.3 billion, the Government has not found a way retrospectively to tax high and mega-wealthy earners within our society. There has been no proposal to tax vulture funds, cuckoo funds or banks, which are, in essence, exempt from paying tax for the next 20 years.

The Minister will have to agree that there are double standards at play. I take this opportunity to appeal to her to use her offices to ditch the taxation on the payments that were made under the PUP scheme up to 5 August last year.

ENDS

Leaving Cert students must be given certainty

Leaving Cert students must be given certainty – Matt Carthy TD

Local Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, has said that students must be given the choice between written exams and alternatives for this year’s Leaving Certificate.

The Cavan Monaghan TD said that the government must provide certainty immediately and, that particularly in light of the debacle’s of last years calculated grades system, every student should have a choice as which format would best meet their circumstances.

Teachta Carthy said:

“The past number of weeks have illustrated the Department of Education has done little contingency planning when their favoured plan doesn’t work out.

“The Leaving Certificate may be some months away but it is mindboggling that the Minister and her advisors appear unable to provide any clarity to students.

“The normal stress and anxiety of the Leaving Cert has been compounded for this year’s cohort of students due to both how their studies have been interrupted, but also because of uncertainty as to how they are going to be assessed.

“The government can alleviate this somewhat by being honest with students as to what their plans are and what contingencies are in place.

“The reality is that there are serious questions as to if written exams will go ahead given the apparent lack of contingency planning. We have seen in the past few weeks that the department seems to be making things up as they go along.

“The department dropped the ball last year with the calculated grades system. Not only did it lead to unintended debacles, but even had it worked as intended there would have been fairer ways of seeing it implemented. Standardisation and school profiling are not the correct basis on which our students should receive their Leaving Cert results at any time.

“The department has a number of options open to it that would provide a fairer approach to those facing the Leaving Cert this year – continuous assessment is certainly the general direction the exams should be moving in, and we could also look to provide greater choice in questions and topics.

“That said, there will be many students for whom the written exams are preferred, and the department equally needs to work towards ensuring these do occur in the summer for those students who wish to avail of them.

“With planning and engagement with all stakeholders this can be achieved – it’s up to the Minister now to do so in a timely manner to make a success of this year’s Leaving Cert”.

ENDS

Secretary General’s €81,000 pay hike contrasted to government’s treatment of Student Nurses

Secretary General’s €81,000 pay hike contrasted to government’s treatment of Student Nurses

Sinn Féin TD for Cavan Monaghan, Matt Carthy, slammed the government and the Minister for Health for their continued failure to support student nurses and midwives. He accused government of showing a ‘lack of respect’ to the student nurses who he described as ‘the frontline of the frontline’ and he contrasted their treatment with that of the new Secretary General of the Department of Health who is in line to receive an €81,000 per annum pay hike.

The Cavan Monaghan TD was speaking during a Dáil debate on a Sinn Féin Motion that called for student healthcare workers to be paid during their clinical placements.

Teachta Carthy told the Dáil:

“The strength of our response to Covid-19 has been the concept of solidarity.

“It is a concept we have seen in every single community across this country – but it is a concept that appears alien to this government.

“We are in a situation now where Sinn Féin have had to bring a motion before this House for the second time, to demand and plea that student nurses and midwives be paid for the work that they do.

“That we have to discuss this motion at all is incredibly disappointing. That we should be discussing it in a week when government are defending their decision to increase the salary of the Secretary General of the Department of Health to €292,000 per annum shows just how perverse government thinking truly is.

“That marks an increase of €81,000. It is more than frontline workers get paid in totality.

“If we compare that with the offer apparently being made to student nurses of €100 per week for the work they do, it does not stand up to scrutiny.

“After all the testimonies we have heard in recent months, after all the realities that they have spelt out to us – €100 per week is insulting, patronising, and sums up this government.

“It is no wonder that our newly qualified nurses are found in every corner of the world, why they are treasured by almost every other health service in the world. It boils down to lack of respect.

“The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, defended the proposed increase in Robert Watt’s salary by €81,000 to €292,000 per annum. His logic is incredibly interesting. He says that this pay hike is in recognition of the ‘unique challenges and significant responsibilities’ attached to this role.

“That spells and sets it out in the clearest possible terms. This Government, the Minister and the leaders of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party recognise the unique challenges and very significant responsibilities of bureaucrats and officials but do not recognise the unique challenges and significant responsibilities that have been undertaken by the front line of the front line, our student nurses and midwives.

“I commend the motion to the House, I commend Deputy David Cullinane on tabling it and I beg and plead with every Member of the House to stand by those who have stood by us”.

After the debate Teachta Carthy said:

“The Dáil adopted the Sinn Féin motion on student nurse and midwife pay. This was, no doubt, due to the embarrassment of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs who voted against a similar motion late last year.

“That motion must now be acted on by Government. The Minister should not delay.

“The motion was clear – the Minister should make sure that 4^th year interns are now paid at the healthcare assistant rate. He must ensure that students whose placements are cancelled now or in the future as a result of the pandemic can work as healthcare assistants, if they want to.

“The second review must be signed off on this week and expedited.

“The Minister should also immediately engage and negotiate with healthcare unions to put in place a fair and reasonable system of allowances going forward.

“The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, has excused himself from this debate. That is unacceptable.

“Minister Harris should step up to the mark and ensure fair treatment for students and give them clarity about the impact on their clinical placements.

“It is up to him and the Minister for Health to ensure that they get fair treatment, and that there are no delays to their academic progression because of the decision to suspend placements.”

ENDS