Taoiseach Enda Kenny has provided a breakdown of the additional 10,000 gardaí, teachers, doctors, nurses and other frontline staff Fine Gael is promising by 2021.
Speaking at a party event on Monday, Mr Kenny said the provision would involve approximately 3,220 teachers, 2,800 nurses, 600 HSE hospital consultants, doctors and dentists and 1,000 other health professionals such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
He said the Fine Gael plan also included 1800 new gardaí, 217 speech and language therapists, 500 social workers and 42 psychologists for children.
Meanwhile, Minister for Health Leo Varadkar confirmed he had spoken to HSE director general Tony O'Brien this morning about HSE plans to introduce restrictions on staff recruitment.
“In fairness to the HSE they can’t run the health service based on what’s in the Fine Gael manifesto or any party’s manifesto. We’re contesting this election and we’re seeking an endorsement from the Irish people for the manifesto,” Mr Varadkar said.
“We need that mandate first before we can direct the HSE to implement it.
“In terms of the directive I spoke with the director general Tony O’Brien this morning, just for a bit of clarity around it.
“As you know we hired an additional 4,000 staff to the health service last year. Any ongoing consultant recruitment campaigns still stand and of course any funded positions so for example the nurses we need to open some of the beds that aren’t open yet.”
He said the directive prevented different bits of the health service recruiting to unfunded posts. This had been a problem in recent years, he said.
“That can’t go on. We do need to come in on budget.”
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin denied wild promises were being made by political parties.
He said the comments by HSE director general Tony O’Brien were in the context of the 2016 Budget.
Mr Howlin said the promise to recruit additional staff was in relation to future budgets.
He said: “We have a horizon for the next five years. This year’s Budget is done and dusted.”
