John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Health if he expects agency costs to be reduced by 50% in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29466/12]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 569: To ask the Minister for Health the total spend on agency staff to date in 2012; the number of temporary agency staff employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29023/12]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 592: To ask the Minister for Health the total agency staff costs in each of the years 2008 to 2011 including agency staff costs in the National Treatment Purchase Fund; the cost to date in 2012 including in the NTPF; the projected costs including the NTPF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29156/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 133, 569 and 592 together.

In the health service, agency staff have traditionally been used to meet a short-term service need or where some flexibility in staffing a service is required. In 2011, although the HSE had negotiated new agency contracts which involve lower unit costs, the use of agency staff accounted for approximately €177 million. This was accounted for in part by the usage of agency staffing to cover longer-term staffing needs. When locum staff, who are health service employees, are added, the total amounts to over €200 million.

The HSE's National Service Plan 2012 commits to significantly lowering the volume of agency usage across all staff functions, with a target reduction of up to 50% in 2012. The Plan also notes that the transposition into Irish law of the Temporary Agency Work Directive will increase the unit cost of agency staffing. Agency staff are the employees of the agencies concerned and as such the number of individuals engaged in such work is not reported.

National Treatment Purchase Fund expenditure on agency staffing was €5,234 was 2008. No such expenditure has been incurred in subsequent years.