Hospitals may use low-paid

Hospitals will be able to effectively side-step the controversial recruitment ban from next year — but may resort to using low-paid graduates to fill some chronic staffing gaps as part of the plan.

Under measures announced as part of Budget 2015, Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin said departments will from January have “discretion” over how they comply with the controversial money-saving rule.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar said the Department of Health will use this opening — which it had specifically requested — to bring in extra staff and reduce the need to rely on expensive agency workers who are costing the service €250m a year.