News broke today that the latest attempt to curb HSE overspending involves plans to cut €250 million on outside agency staff. The cost of hiring healthcare staff from for-profit agencies increased by 139% between 2015 and 2022 to €619 million. The HSE should directly employ nurses, midwives and doctors and not over-rely on agencies. One agency healthcare worker affected by the current recruitment freeze said to me about agency work, "Every day is like your first day on the job - it doesn’t make sense to move around all the time. We are paid the same and a private company takes the cream off the top."

The Labour Party is concerned that the HSE’s plans to suddenly turn off the tap with sizeable cuts could risk patients’ health, especially this winter. Will the Taoiseach ensure the safety of patients is the marker of success? To save money and secure better care for patients, as well as decent conditions for healthcare workers, will he move to end the foolish recruitment freeze within the HSE?

The HSE hired 8,000 extra staff last year, which was probably the biggest increase in a very long time. The HSE service plan next year provides for it to hire an additional 2,000 to 3,000 staff. I do not know what the Deputy's definition of a recruitment freeze is but 8,000 extra staff last year and another 2,000 or 3,000 this year, to me, is not a recruitment freeze. However, it will not be the free-for-all we have seen in previous years. It cannot be and it should not be. As part of the plans, 400 more beds will be opened between community and acute hospitals, there will be provision for waiting lists to fall again this year, which will be third year in a row and some of the savings will come from a reduction in agency staff.