Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 January 2026
48. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the total number of vacant posts across the health service, by staff group; whether she accepts that recruitment and employment ceilings are undermining safe staffing and service delivery; the outcome she is pursuing in the WRC process with health unions; and when she will publish a time-bound plan to fill vacancies and expand staffing in frontline areas. [5077/26]
View answerThe role of the Minister for Health is primarily to deal with legislation, policy, overall budgetary allocation, and corporate governance. The HSE is a separate entity to the Department of Health and as such, the HSE has responsibility for matters relating to the staff within their employ or staff going through the process of recruitment with the HSE's National Recruitment Service.
The Department have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on this matter.
