HSE recruitment freeze to end following allocation of €1.5billion in increased funding

The CEO of the Health Service Executive has confirmed a recruitment freeze which was introduced last October will be lifted from this Monday.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio on Sunday, Bernard Gloster said the decision has been made following last week's announcement that an additional €1.5 billion in funding has been allocated by the government.

The HSE will also receive an extra €1.2illion in 2025 to meet the cost of existing levels of service.

Speaking on This Week on RTÉ Radio 1, Mr Gloster said funding announced last week is "permanent money" that will be used across "the base of the health service."

He added that prior to the announcement, he was concerned about 4,000 posts across the organisation which were "essentially unfunded", but that they are now "funded and secured".

The HSE, he said, has entered into an agreement with Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to work within the additional €1.5bn in funding it received.

The recruitment freeze, which was introduced last October, was extended in November to include all categories of staff, with the exception of consultants, doctors in training and 2023 graduate nurses and midwives.

Mr Gloster says recruitment limits and controls for health regions across the country have been set and cannot be breached.

A limited number of senior managers have been given the authority to approve appointments under the new system.

Following the lifting of the freeze, the HSE ceiling for recruitment new stands at just over 125,000 whole-time equivalents.