Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Let me be equally clear - activity levels in the health service are increasing but staffing levels are not matching them. The Minister can deny that there is a pause in recruitment, but I have in writing from the office of the assistant national director for oral health a statement that there is a pause in temporary recruitment pending the outcome of cost containment discussions. No one will contradict me when I state there is not a hospital or health facility in the State that is staffed to adequate levels. Is the Minister aware that between January and April 2016 the HSE spent €68 million on 2,379 whole-time equivalent agency staff? I sincerely hope I do not have to convince him that agency workers are less cost-effective than directly employed labour. If it is established that agency workers are less cost-effective and money is the main issue, why is more direct labour not being employed? Doing so would be a much better utilisation of budgets. I have a statement that there is effectively a pause in recruitment.

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