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 28,480 more staff working in our health service than there were at the beginning of 2020. That’s a 24% increase in this period and includes an additional 9,614 nurses and midwives.

As of the end of December 2023, there were 145,985 staff working in our health service, which includes an increase of 8,239 staff in 2023, 2,200 more staff than the HSE were funded to recruit for the year.

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 level of recruitment in excess of agreed limits seen in 2023 was neither affordable or sustainable. Therefore, in November 2023 the HSE CEO introduced a temporary recruitment pause.

It is important to note that the hiring of Graduate Nurses and of qualified Nurses / Midwives committed to, and coming through the international recruitment pipeline, were exempt from this recruitment pause, and recruitment of nurses continued with an additional 3,168 Nurses / Midwives recruited across the country since May 2023, which includes an additional 450 Nurses / Midwives in our Acute hospitals in Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

The region has seen multiple investments with the launch of major Trauma Services, Menopause Specialist Clinic, a Regional Fertility Hub is now operational, further expansion of hub services for Endometriosis patient and post-natal hubs that have been established in Cork and Kerry in 2023.

I have secured funding for the recruitment of an additional 2,268 healthcare staff in 2024, which is outlined in the HSE National Service Plan approved and published on 14 February 2024. I have approved the allocation of the resources outlined in the HSE’s Pay and Numbers Strategy for 2024 and plans to recruit these 2,268 additional staff are now in motion.