Allowances are available to nurses and midwives employed in the public health service. To be eligible for the location allowance, the nurse or midwife must be working in the specified location. The qualification allowance is provided to nurses and midwives who perform duties in specialized areas where they hold the necessary qualifications.
Eligibility for location and qualification allowance. Nurses and midwives eligible for payment of location/qualification allowances are:
- Staff Nurses/Midwives
- Senior Staff Nurses/Midwives
- CNMs/CMMs 1 & 2 (incl. Theatre Sisters).
If eligible for both allowances, a nurse/midwife may benefit from either a qualification allowance or a location allowance- the higher of the two – when working on qualifying duties. Pro-rata arrangements apply to job-sharing and part-time staff.
The Dual Qualified Scale
This scale is applicable to nurses who possess two of the five registered nursing qualifications. To be eligible for this scale, you must have held the second qualification or been in training for it as of October 1st, 1996.
For midwifery and children’s nursing, the dual-qualified scale became effective on August 1st, 1998. A staff nurse can only receive either the dual-qualified scale or an allowance, whichever amount is greater. The exceptions to this are:
- Nurses who were paid on the dual-qualified scale on 1st October 1996 and in receipt of a location allowance at 1st August 1998 or eligible for a new location/qualification allowance from 31st March 1999. In such cases, the value of the location/qualification allowance is €1,597 which they receive in addition to their dual-qualified scale.
- With effect from 26th November 2003, nurses who are paid on the dual- qualified scale and who then move to an area that attracts a location/qualification allowance will continue to be paid on the dual- qualified scale and will also receive the abated value of the location/qualification allowance of €1,597. Payment of the allowance will cease if the nurse moves out of the qualifying area.
Caseload Allowance
A caseload allowance of €4,247 is payable to RGNs in the community undertaking certain specified duties of the PHN.
Allowances that are payable to nurses/midwives employed in the public health Service. To qualify for the location, allowance the nurses/midwife must be working in that particular location. The qualification allowances apply to nurses/midwives who are employed on duties in specialist areas where they hold the relevant qualification.
Allowances paid to Public Health Nurses for weekend work
Island Inducement Allowance €2,022 (Abolished for new beneficiaries with effect from 1st February 2012)
Fixed Payment Weekend Work €32.22. First call on Saturday and first call on Sunday €42.77 Each subsequent call on Saturday and Sunday €21.42 Payment in lieu of time off for Emergency work €32.19
Location Allowance: With effect from 1st March 2019, the location allowance of €2,554 is extended to Public Health Nurses not holding a midwifery qualification but providing midwifery services as part of their duties.
Specialist Qualification Allowance
An allowance of €3,835 is payable to registered nurses/midwives employed on duties in specialist areas appropriate to the following qualifications where they hold the relevant qualification, for example:
- Accident & Emergency Nursing Course
- Anaesthetic Nursing Course
- Behaviour Modification Course
- Behavioural Therapy Course
- Burns Nursing Course
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing Course
- Coronary Care Course
- Diabetic Nursing Course
- Ear Nose & Throat Nursing Course
- Forensic Psychiatric Nursing Course
- Gerontological Nursing Course
- Higher Diploma in Midwifery
- Higher Diploma in Paediatrics
- Infection Control Nursing Course
- Intensive Care Nursing Course (incl. Paediatric Intensive Care and Special and Intensive Care of Newborn)
- Neurological/Neurosurgical Nursing Course
- Operating Theatre Nursing Course (incl. Paediatric Op. Theatre)
- Ophthalmic Nursing Course
- Orthopaedic Nursing Course
- Higher Diploma in Cardiovascular Nursing/Diabetes Nursing/Oncological
- Nursing/Palliative Care Nursing
- Rehabilitation Nursing Course
- Renal Nursing Course
- Stoma Care Nursing Course
This list is not exhaustive – payment of the specialist qualification allowance extends to all specialist courses confirmed as Category II or equivalent by the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland that are directly related to the nurse/midwife’s current clinical area of work.
The specialist qualification allowance is also payable to registered general nurses holding recognised post-registration qualifications in midwifery or sick children’s nursing and employed on duties appropriate to their qualification.
Location Allowance
An allowance of €2,554 is payable to registered nurses employed on duties in the following locations:
Theatre/O.R.
Renal Units
Intensive/Coronary Care Units
Cancer/Oncology Units
Geriatric Units/Long-Stay Hospital or Units in County Homes High Dependency Units,
Neo-Natal Units (ICU)
Endoscopy Units
Specialist Ambulatory Dialysis Units
Units for Severe and Profoundly Handicapped in Mental Handicap Services
Acute Admission Units in Mental Health Services,
Medical/Surgical Wards, Maternity Depts *
Secure Units in Mental Health Services, dedicated Care of the Elderly (excluding Day Care Centres) and Alzheimer’s Units in Mental Health Services and the Intellectual Disability Sector (including Psycho-geriatric Wards, Elderly Mentally Infirm Units, Psychiatry of Later Life Services).
*(Allowance effective from 1st March 2019).
Midwifery Qualification Allowance
The amount of €3,835 is payable to Public Health Nurses and Assistant Directors of Public Health Nursing who hold a midwifery qualification. There are still more allowances available for nurses and midwives. Follow this link for more details INMO
Discover more from African Nurses Ireland
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
