Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for his reply, the final sentence of which answers my question. I was not asking about the number of contract staff in the Minister's Department or in the Comptroller and Auditor General's office, although I am surprised at the numbers given by the Minister in that regard, but about my hobby horse, the health service, where there are vacancies in hospitals countrywide for nurses and so on.

There are many agency nurses in our hospitals, in respect of whom there are separate staffing schedules and rotas, and to whom the embargo does not apply, which I understand.

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