Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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1304. To ask the Minister for Health if he will outline the way the HSE recruits workers for key healthcare roles from abroad when the roles cannot be filled locally; if there is an avenue for a non-EEA worker who is not living in Ireland to pursue a career in the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12840/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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To supplement national recruitment the HSE on an ongoing basis, recruits form overseas largely through third-party providers (recruitment agencies). These agencies source suitable candidates from both within the EEA and outside the EEA for clinical positions in our health services.

These third-party agencies support candidates in their applications together with gaining their professional registration from the various regulatory authorities. To further support overseas candidates, the HSE offers a competitive international relocation package.

In 2021, 1,600 nurses were recruited from overseas for positions right across the country and this number increased to 1,800 last year. The HSE expect that this upward trajectory will continue over the next number of years and will expand across other clinical professions.

International staff are actively supported in progressing their careers within the Irish health services and are, and will continue to be, key to the delivery of health services in Ireland.

In June 2021 a number of Health roles were removed from the Ineligible Occupations List operated by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, including that of health care assistant, to allow applications for General Employment Permits to be made.

In June 2022 changes were made to provide access to the Critical Skills Employment Permit for non-EEA nationals wishing to take up employment in the State in the health sector for the following roles: cardiac physiologist, medical scientist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, podiatrist / chiropodist, psychologist, speech and language therapist and pharmacist.