Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Department and HSE. It has been a challenging two years. I thank everyone involved in dealing with the Covid issue and the challenges posed by it. I want to move on to the here and now and where we go from here with regard to healthcare in Ireland over the next five to ten years. One issue that will occur and already exists is with difficulties in recruiting. I am concerned about the disparity in recruitment. For example, since December 2014, the number of people working in the HSE has gone from 103,000 to 131,000, which is a 27% increase. The number working in senior management has increased from 1,185 to 2,154, which is an 81% increase. The number working in home help in 2014 was 3,703. In October 2021, it was 2,352, which is a decrease. The Secretary General referred to the demographic change that is occurring in the sector and said that by 2028, the demands on our healthcare sector and home care will see a dramatic increase. We will go from about 740,000 people over the age of 65 to over 1 million people over the age of 65. How do the witnesses propose to address shortfalls in recruitment and in getting staff? Is a plan in place? What does that plan envisage?