Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The 2021 National Service Plan outlined plans to increase the workforce by circa 15,838 over funded 2020 levels. This funding allowed for permanent employment of a number of temporary workers hired in 2020, as well as a significant expansion of the workforce in 2021, by approximately 14,567 WTE.

The health service has grown by 4,462 WTE from the end of 2020 to the end of September 2021, with a total of 130,636 WTE employed directly by the HSE and its agencies. This is alongside the staff recruited through external partners to support vaccination and contact tracing.

The unexpected COVID-19 surge in quarter 1 of this year and the significant recruitment through external agencies needed for the vaccine rollout has contributed to lower recruitment directly into the HSE than was targeted under Budget 2021. The remaining 10,105 WTE will be target for recruitment in the last quarter of 2021 and throughout 2022. Budget 2022 continues the significant investment in the health sector workforce, with the HSE being funded for the remaining WTE to be hired from Budget 2021, along with additional WTE identified for existing levels of service and new developments.

For the latter part of the question on the breakdown by CHO, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.