HSE forced to employ hundreds more staff

HEALTH service bosses are facing the prospect of having to staff hundreds of agency workers after the Labour Court ruled their employment on a continuous temporary basis was in breach of national agreements.

The ruling presents a serious dilemma for the Health Service Executive (HSE) which has been on a drive to reduce the numbers of permanent staff and has been actively discouraging hospitals and health managers from recruiting.

Health chiefs played down the implications last night, saying only that they were examining the ruling and the Labour Court’s recommendations and were doing so against the background of employment ceilings and funding restrictions.