Mr. Damian Ginley:

I mentioned earlier the requests for data we submitted to the HSE, along with our colleagues, on behalf of the group of unions, for precise details in this regard. Within every grade of the health service, there is agency usage to some extent. We are finding more and more that as well as the staff coming into work every day who are directly employed, are on the roster and carry out their shifts, etc., equally, there are staff who are employed by agencies coming in and doing the exact same work. They are there long term. At this stage, across all grades, we are talking thousands of agency staff who should be directly employed by the health service and should be able to avail of the pensions, terms and conditions, sick pay and so on that come with that direct employment, as well as the security of employment, which is a key factor as well. From the figures identified by the HSE, I understand that in the region of 900 posts are being earmarked for conversion. As our colleague Ms Ní Sheaghdha alluded to, almost half of those posts may be in nursing. However, that is not making any impact on the gaps and challenges in the system. It is just putting a new badge on somebody who is already needed on the line and on the roster.