The government’s been criticised over the spiraling costs of employing agency staff at Letterkenny General Hospital.
Deputy Pearse Doherty says between 2011 and the end of last year, the amount of money spent on agency staff at the hospital had more than doubled.
He says the public service recruitment embargo has created a situation where the amount of money which hospitals have had to spend to employ agency staff such as nurses, doctors and consultants has ballooned.
In 2010, he says almost €3 million was spent on agency staff. Four years later, that had risen to €6.7 million under the current Government parties.
Deputy Doherty says the legacy of the recruitment embargo has been spiraling wage costs and chronic understaffing…………….
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
