Irish Examiner view: Health staff recruitment crisis underlined by HSE's inability to hire temporary agency workers

The HSE is increasingly unable to hire even temporary staff, and agencies say the housing shortage is a key reason for this lack of staff

The 'Irish Examiner' reported the HSE is sometimes unable to fill vacancies even with agency staff, because agencies too are struggling to recruit health workers. Stock picture: PA

Our hard-pressed health service is not short of challenges, with new issues materialising on a regular basis. Now a whole new problem in staffing has emerged. 

As revealed here this week by Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin, worker shortages are now so acute that the HSE has warned that it is sometimes unable to fill vacancies even with agency staff, because agencies are themselves struggling to recruit health workers.