Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I take the points raised by the Deputy. The hospital currently employs staff of approximately 1,280.6 whole-time equivalents, with more than 200 additional contracted services staff. A significant overseas nursing recruitment campaign is being actively progressed by the Saolta University Health Care Group with the intention of having significant additional nursing resources coming into the service within the next three months. Interviews are ongoing and it is expected the first group of nurses from this process will start work in January 2022.

There were 55 positions approved for Mayo University Hospital, with 29 scheduled to arrive in January and 26 in March. In addition, 30 nursing staff are included in a current local recruitment campaign. It is hoped these will take up their positions in the next two months. These will include eight critical care staff and five senior nursing posts. The hospital has also increased its healthcare assistant staff by 70% and there have also been appointments to other grades.

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