€748m agency staffing cost is "poor value for public money"

The spending of €748m on agency staff in Department of Health funding services across the country last year represents "poor value for public money" according to Offaly Independent TD, Carol Nolan.

Expressing serious concerns about the figures released on foot of a Parliamentary Question she tabled to the Minister for Health, Deputy Nolan said they are “a stark illustration of the unsustainable reliance on temporary staffing arrangements.”

The Offaly TD asked for a breakdown of the costs associated with agency staffing in the health sector and the measures in place to reduce reliance on such staffing to ensure value for public money.

“While welcoming the commitment in the HSE’s 2026 National Service Plan to reduce agency costs by €80 million next year, Deputy Nolan said the scale of the current expenditure in just eleven months demonstrates how far we have drifted from "a sustainable staffing model." She also pointed out that pointed out that agency staffing is "significantly more expensive than employing permanent staff" and added that the level of spending outlined to her represents "poor value for public money at a time when our health service is under severe pressure.”

“Patients deserve consistent care delivered by permanent, directly employed staff who are fully integrated into their teams” said the local Independent TD.

Deputy Nolan also noted that the proposed measures, including recruiting and converting agency workers to permanent roles, establishing so-called ‘internal staff banks’, improving rostering to reduce overtime and agency need, implementing stricter controls, and eliminating off-framework agency use are positive steps which must be implemented "swiftly and effectively."

She has pledged to continue to monitor progress closely to ensure that the promised €80 million reduction is delivered and that a decisive move is made towards a health service "that relies on secure, permanent staffing rather than costly temporary arrangements.”