THREE THOUSAND full-time nurses or 1,000 consultants could be recruited with the amount of money being spent on agency staff in the health service, it has been claimed in the Dáil.

Fianna Fáil health spokesman Billy Kelleher made the claim as Minister for Health James Reilly told the Dáil that 38 retired HSE staff had been rehired since the February deadline for qualifying public servants to avail of better retirement terms before they were reduced.

Dr Reilly also said three former departmental staff would be rehired on a temporary basis for the Irish presidency of the European Union, while two former staff have been recruited in State agencies and a former public servant had been recruited after an open competition on a part-time basis.

The Minister said the 600-700 rehired retirees reported in the media was for 2010 and 2011. “I have made it clear that I do not want staff rehired if people are available to be hired.”

Mr Kelleher welcomed the commitment not to rehire retired staff but said the greater problem was with agency staff. “During the first quarter of 2012, €51 million was spent on these staff” which was not sustainable.

“On a quick, back-of-the-envelope calculation, that could employ 3,000 full-time nurses or 1,000 consultants. We must recognise that €204 million is a sizeable sum every year.”

It could cost up to €230 million allowing for locums and other temporary measures, he added.

He reminded the Minister there was a commitment to reduce this expenditure by 50 per cent.

“If that is to happen, no agency staff will be hired for the second half of this year because the entire budget was spent in the first six months.”

However, Dr Reilly, said, “we are very much focused on reductions” in agency nursing staff “and I look forward to the public service agreement to address that issue”.

Referring to the rehired HSE staff, he said the costs were not available for the 38 employees who included 11 consultants, four other medical staff, 19 nurses, a radiographer, a senior orthoptist, an attendant and a clerical officer.

He insisted he did not want to rehire retired staff but that “sometimes people in specific areas, particularly consultants, must be”.