Annette Mooney, the People Before Profit/ United Left Alliance candidate for Dublin South East has condemned as slave labour, plans to cut and eventually abolish payments to fourth year student nurses.
"It is disgraceful that student nurses will be forced to work on the wards for nothing. If the government wants to save money they should start with ending the bank bailout or by cutting the salaries of HSE executives instead of picking on vulnerable students and frontline services".
"These cuts will just place a massive financial burden on the students and their families and will force many from lower-income backgrounds out of their courses".
The former community nurse said that reforming the health service and supporting workers resistance will figure prominently in her election campaign.
"It has fallen down the agenda in this election, due to the massive economic problems but I feel strongly that we must commit to creating an efficient national health service and end the two tier system. I will be standing with student nurses in their attempts to defend their rights."
There are protests planned at hospitals across the country and a major march from Dublin’s parnell square at 11.30am on Wednesday the 16th of February