Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Agency staff are often used to cover for staff on sick leave and maternity leave and overtime. Often, it is our own staff who work in agencies who are working overtime. Notwithstanding the fact that there was an increase in staff numbers in the health service last year, with an extra 800 nurses and midwives being recruited, there was a 20% increase in the spend on agency staff. Therefore, this idea that there is a connection between the number of staff we have and agency staff is incorrect.

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