Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The figure for spending on agency staff increased from €136 million a decade ago to €355 million in 2020. Replies to parliamentary questions show that agency staff cost about €60 more per shift. I accept there are always recruitment problems and difficulties. Is the HSE making a conscious effort to move away from the dependency on agency staff? Every day, the HSE spends €1 million on agency staff internally. That is not counting the section 38 organisations and all the other bodies that are also contracted.