Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy on the need to tackle agency staff. That is why in the new deal we have with nurses and the new nurses contract both I and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, believe that the new measures will help reduce a dependency on agency staff and help to recruit and retain more nurses in full-time, permanent posts. That is the view of the union that has just accepted the new nurses contract. We are hiring additional staff and will hire approximately 2,000. My record on increasing front-line staff in the health service should not be misrepresented. When I was appointed Minister for Health, 109,124 people worked in the health service. Last March, the figure was 118,984. That included 346 additional consultants, 501 additional registrars, 1,124 additional nurses and midwives, 188 additional personnel in the ambulance service, 110 additional psychologists and 599 additional therapists. We are increasing the number of staff every year. However, when the House provides a budget and when we tell a hospital or a CHO that it has a particular staffing budget for the year, there must be a situation where there is a plan within that budget, not with figures that do not match the budget. Otherwise we will get into a very difficult situation.

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