Dr. Matthew Sadlier:

The issue of agency costs is linked with the 30% cut in consultants' salaries. As we cannot fill consultant posts, many of the vacancies at that level are being filled by staff recruited through an agency which pays the doctor at a particular rate. I do not know the amount, but I do know that it is higher than the salary paid if the doctor was taking up a HSE contract at the normal level. Also, a levy is paid to the agency on top of what is paid to the doctor. The 30% cut in consultants' pay is probably costing the health service more because it has led to increased use of agency staff. As I said, because of the additional fee paid to the agency, agency staff are more expensive. It is happening across the board. We can only speak about doctors, but I know that it happens on the nursing side also. At junior doctor or NCHD and consultant level we have to take in agency staff because we are not able to recruit doctors on the standard contracts because they are deemed not to be attractive enough.