HSE ordered to halve ‘unsustainable’ agency staff costs or face €30m fine

THE HSE has been ordered to slash its “unsustainable” agency worker costs in half or face the possibility of a €30 million EU fine.

The organisation’s budget plans for this year have targeted a 50% reduction in the amount of money being spent on the private workers, who are contracted on a short-term basis to fill service gaps.

Last year, the HSE spent over €200m on agency workers — a figure which has consistently risen since restrictions on full-time recruitment were first put in place in 2007.