Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----to stop hiring teachers, and it is the same in this case. Unfortunately, we had a deeply frustrating situation where the HSE had hired thousands of people. The central controls within the HSE failed. The HSE, as soon as it saw it was coming anywhere near its funded target for the year, should have identified that. Had it done that, no such measure would have been required.

I fully acknowledge the frustration for our front-line workers. I meet them every week and hear their frustrations, and we are working to resolve the situation. I would have greatly preferred if the graduated approach had worked but, unfortunately, the HSE continued to hire at a level we had never seen.

See this speech in context