Qualification allowance

An allowance of €4,000 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 New Born)
• 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. 

 
The qualification allowance payable to eligible nurses/midwives is €4,000 per annum as per the 1 October 2024 salary scales.  Pro-rata arrangements apply to job-sharing and part-time staff. 

Assistant Directors of Public Health Nursing and Public Health Nurses receive a qualification allowance of €4,000 per annum.

Temporary, part-time or locum Public Health Nurses receive payment of the qualification allowance on a pro-rata basis. 

A staff nurse/staff midwife can only receive a dual qualified scale or a qualification allowance, whichever is the greater.  The exceptions to this are staff nurses who were already being paid on the dual qualified scale on 1 October 1996.  In these cases, the value of the qualification allowance is €1,665 which they receive in addition to their dual qualified scale.

An allowance of €4,000 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 New Born)
• 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. 

A nurse/midwife may benefit from either a qualification allowance or a location allowance, the higher of the two, when working on qualifying duties.

 The qualification allowance is not reckonable for overtime premiums.

The qualification allowance is superannuable.

Nurses/midwives are eligible for a qualification allowance and staff/enhanced nurses/midwives, senior saff/enhanced nurses/midwives, CNMs/CMMs 1, 2 and 3 including theatre sisters. 

If you are on maternity leave and you are in receipt of your normal pay, you will continue to receive the qualification allowance.

If you are on sick leave and you are in receipt of your full pay, you will continue to receive the full qualification allowance.  If you are on half pay the allowance is reduced on a pro-rata basis.