Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald TD has again called on the Taoiseach and government to lift the dangerous recruitment embargo, which is stopping the HSE from hiring non-consultant doctors, physiotherapists, radiation therapists, dentists, cleaning and hygiene workers, and most grades across the entire health service.

Teachta McDonald said that the dangerous recruitment embargo is having real consequences across the system from emergency departments to patients with cancer to stroke survivors in recovery to children in need of essential dental care.

The Dublin Central TD added that the government’s mismanagement of health spending on agency staffing, outsourcing, and management consultancy is wasteful and inefficient, and that government should focus on cutting these costs instead of targeting frontline workers.

Teachta McDonald said:

“The dangerous recruitment embargo must be lifted. I have again asked the Taoiseach today to lift the embargo.Instead of recognising that the embargo is wrong and dangerous, the Taoiseach asks, ‘where does the hiring stop? Where would Sinn Féin stop?’

“It stops at a safely staffed health service. Nobody who has listened to the testimony of workers at University Hospital Limerick could argue that Limerick is a safe hospital. It is having real consequences across the system from emergency departments to patients with cancer to stroke survivors in recovery to children in need of essential dental care.

“Local health services, too, are suffering under the embargo. Children are not getting access to dental care, young people are not getting access to therapy or mental health services, and children with disabilities under Primary Care face excruciating waits.

“The dangerous recruitment embargo is layering crisis on top of crisis. While the Taoiseach refuses to directly employ the healthcare workers our system needs, he is spending a fortune on agency staff. Spending on agency staff has doubled on Simon Harris’ watch.

“Under this government, young doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals are being educated and trained to emigrate. The Taoiseach’s recruitment embargo is sending a message to those who have already left not to come back.

“We are now in the fifth month of 2024, and the government has still not approved a workforce plan for the HSE this year. That is simply unacceptable. Ordinary people and frontline workers are paying the price for Simon Harris’ wasteful incompetence.”