Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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There has been an unprecedented level of investment by this Government in the health service workforce in recent years.

We have seen consistent growth in the workforce each year since 2020, with the growth in the number of staff recruited in 2023 being the highest since the foundation of the HSE.

There are now 146,429 staff working in our health service, with 26,617 more staff today than there were at the beginning of 2020. That is a 22.2% increase in this period and includes an additional 8,414 nurses and midwives; 4,067 health and social care professionals; and 2,872 doctors and dentists.

In November 2023 the HSE CEO announced a pause on all recruitment with the exception of Consultants, Graduate Nurses and Doctors in formal training programmes. The pause put in place was part of a suite of control measures, including an instruction to reduce expenditure on agency staff and management consultants across the HSE.

The reality is that the HSE exceeded its 2023 funded workforce targets, which was neither affordable nor sustainable. They were funded to recruit an additional 6,010 staff in 2023, but actually hired 8,239, meaning they were over by more than 2,200 staff than they were funded for.

While the increase in our workforce has been incredibly positive and has enabled significant improvements in service delivery and reductions in waiting times for patients, it is important that the HSE operate within budgeted levels and that prudent controls are in place to ensure the workforce growth is managed in an affordable and sustainable manner.

The Minister for Health has secured funding for the recruitment of an additional 2,268 staff in 2024, which is outlined in the HSE National Service Plan, approved and published on the 14th February 2024. The HSE are currently finalising their Pay and Numbers Strategy for 2024.

Finalisation of the Pay and Numbers Strategy will enable the HSE to set out its recruitment targets in each area for 2024 and will inform decisions at local level on the filling of available posts.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.