Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 January 2026
279. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Health to set out how the cross-Government approach, including collaboration with the Departments of Further and Higher Education, Children, Disability and Equality, and Education and Youth, will support the recruitment, retention and development of a sustainable health and social care workforce aligned with WHO workforce planning principles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4529/26]
View answerIreland’s Future Health and Social Care Workforce paper sets out the vision and long-term plan for the health and social care workforce. The paper sets out an evidence-based strategic direction for the health and social care workforce for the next 15 years. It details twenty actions to be taken in the years ahead to address future workforce challenges in addition to building on actions already committed to by Government in recent years. These actions sit under five interconnected pillars; Plan, Build, Optimise Performance, Retain & Recruit and Invest.
These pillars are fully aligned with the WHO workforce planning principles set out in the Framework for action on the health and care workforce in the WHO European Region 2023–2030. The Department’s workforce planning strategic actions were developed through engagement with international organisations such as the EU Commission, the WHO and the OECD.
Under the Retain & Recruit pillar, the paper sets out four actions. These actions look at building the future health and social care workforce through ensuring students are attracted to health and social care professions, job security, improved workforce environments and addressing our high reliance on international recruitment.
Building future supply of health and social care workers is a long-term endeavor and is dependent upon the expansion of existing training programmes, provision of clinical practice placements in the health and disability and education services, development of new training programmes and expansion of additional pathways to education which requires collaboration with the Departments of Further and Higher Education, Children, Disability and Equality, and Education and Youth. The provision of additional CAO places in the Higher Educational Institutions requires significant forward planning and infrastructural investment, therefore a whole of Government response is required.
An interdepartmental working group which includes the Departments of Health, Further and Higher Education, Children, Disability and Equality, and Education and Youth, HSE and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) is actively considering current and future workforce requirements, particularly in therapy and psychology disciplines that are critical to health, disability and education services. This cross-Government collaboration ensures a unified and strategic approach to strategic workforce planning in the health and social care sector.
Moving forward, the Department of Health is enhancing our ability to plan with a strong focus on a good foundation of workforce data, data on health professionals in training and a cross-Government collaborative approach including ongoing engagement and collaboration with the Departments of Further and Higher Education, Children, Disability and Equality, and Education and Youth and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
