Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My only comment on that is to do with the accountability aspect of the committee. This is why we are here and that is more important. If there is not accountability then the whole system would break down. That is why the committee was set up.

Many of my points have already been covered so I just have two or three questions. On agency staff, why is there a need for agency staff at all if the HSE is doing its job and able to recruit qualified nurses directly? I understand some nurses want to go abroad, to travel and so on but why is the HSE not employing nurses directly? The agency is only there to make money. Instead of the HSE losing its money to agencies, which are there to make a profit, why not get rid of agencies and just have the HSE as the employer? A figure of €2.2 billion was referred to as costs for agencies, please correct me if I am wrong-----