Department rehires 59 veterinary staff at a cost of more than €850k

The Department of Agriculture has rehired 59 retired veterinary staff at a cost of over €850,000 in the past two years, it has emerged.

The staff have been hired as temporary veterinary inspectors on short-term contracts for what the department described as “meat inspection duties”.

According to information supplied to Fianna Fáil TD Billy Kelleher in answer to parliamentary questions, all but a few government departments have rehired former staff who have retired.