James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is not the intention that such would be the case. I do not know if I am in a position to give the Senator a cast iron guarantee that it could never happen but it was not designed for that purpose. It was designed for a number of reasons, as outlined by the chief nursing officer. It was a means of getting around the employment control framework so that additional staff could be made available. Along with the nursing bank, it also removed the need to depend on agency staff. In that regard, it is not intended that the jobs be seen as replacing full-time, full-pay jobs. That is not the case.