1877. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of sanctioned but unfilled permanent posts currently being covered through agency staffing arrangements within each HSE health region, broken down by grade, discipline, and service area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41844/26]
Topics / Health Services Staff
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsHealth Services Staff
2,097 questions from 136 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
2,097
questions
2,094 written, 3 oral
136
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
7
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 27 |
| February 2025 | 81 |
| March 2025 | 96 |
| April 2025 | 96 |
| May 2025 | 103 |
| June 2025 | 94 |
| July 2025 | 145 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 96 |
| October 2025 | 49 |
| November 2025 | 116 |
| December 2025 | 68 |
| January 2026 | 76 |
| February 2026 | 96 |
| March 2026 | 138 |
| April 2026 | 143 |
| May 2026 | 162 |
| June 2026 | 215 |
| July 2026 | 62 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 148 |
| October 2026 | 86 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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314
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93
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77
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74
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70
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50
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45
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43
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
1879. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the proportion of agency staffing expenditure in 2026 to date attributable to agency engagements exceeding three months, six months, and twelve months respectively, broken down by HSE health region and staff category; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41846/26]
1882. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE centrally monitors repeat agency usage by individual roles or locations; whether any risk assessments have been carried out regarding long-term dependence on agency staffing in frontline services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41849/26]
1883. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has conducted any value-for-money analysis comparing long-term agency staffing expenditure against the cost of direct permanent recruitment for equivalent posts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41850/26]
1891. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of the staff hired in the past year for frontline duties replaced the staff that moved to officer roles, pathfinder, community paramedic/specialist paramedic roles (non-frontline). [41858/26]
1895. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of staff currently working within the National Emergency Operations Centre, broken down by role; and whether staffing levels there are sufficient to meet demand. [41862/26]
1901. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether compliance with agency staffing restrictions forms part of any current HSE risk register, assurance framework, or governance monitoring process; and if she will provide details. [41868/26]
1902. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any analysis has been conducted into the operational or patient safety impact of agency staffing restrictions introduced in July 2025; and if she will provide details. [41869/26]
1988. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 2146 of 8 September 2025, when a reply will be expected for the persons qualification recognition application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42075/26]
1999. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the new community nursing unit in Clonmel; to provide information around a handover date and progress on registration with the relevant regulatory bodies; the position regarding the recruitment of staff for the new unit; when she expects patients from the existing St. Anthony's unit to be transferred and when the unit will be at full cap…
2032. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE can confirm that employees in Section 38 organisations are classified as public servants for pay purposes while employees in Section 39 organisations are not; whether any legal or policy review has been undertaken regarding disparities in pay, conditions, pension entitlement, or recruitment impact between directly employed HSE staff and Section 39…
2033. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department or HSE has undertaken any workforce impact assessment regarding recruitment and retention difficulties arising from pay and conditions disparities between Section 38, Section 39, and directly employed HSE disability service staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42446/26]
2034. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal national policy objective exists to achieve parity of pay and conditions between directly employed HSE disability staff and staff employed by Section 39-funded organisations delivering equivalent publicly funded services; whether costings have been prepared; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42447/26]
2035. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the estimated annual Exchequer cost of extending full public sector pay parity, pension arrangements, and conditions to all Section 39 disability service staff funded by the HSE; whether modelling or scenario analysis has been carried out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42448/26]
2036. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE or Department of Health maintains a national breakdown of working hours, paid breaks, unpaid breaks, and average rostered hours across all public health service staff categories; if so, to provide details by staff category and service area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42449/26]
2037. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any categories of public health service staff currently work roster patterns or contracted arrangements which bring average weekly working hours close to or above the limits set out under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997; whether any exemptions, derogations, or compliance concerns have been identified; and if she will make a statement on the matt…
2038. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has conducted any audit, compliance review, or governance assessment regarding adherence to Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 obligations across HSE-funded services, including Section 38 and Section 39 organisations; if so, to provide details and findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42451/26]
2039. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether unpaid break arrangements across public health service grades have been assessed in terms of their impact on recruitment, retention, fatigue management, and workforce wellbeing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42452/26]
2040. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national policy differences exist regarding working hours, rest breaks, or overtime arrangements between directly employed HSE staff and employees in Section 38 and Section 39 organisations providing publicly funded disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42453/26]
2070. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the number of vacant WTE posts in CAMHS eating disorder teams, broken down by CHO, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42537/26]
2071. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health when the MidWest CHO 3 will receive approval from her Department to establish an adult eating disorder team; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42538/26]
2093. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health the WTE vacancies, by job title currently at HSE fertility hub in Galway; and the expected timeframe for filling each of those vacancies, in tabular form. [42638/26]
2108. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health the current staffing levels within the primary care occupational therapy service in Celbridge; whether there are plans to enhance capacity in this area to help meet local demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42710/26]
2135. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health when the current recruitment freeze affecting physician associates will be lifted; and if she will outline plans to establish physician associate posts within the HSE, given ongoing healthcare staffing shortages and waiting list pressures. [42919/26]
2136. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health if she will provide details of the proposed salary scale and career progression structure for physician associates; and if she acknowledges concerns that reduced salary levels may negatively impact recruitment and retention. [42920/26]