Agency Staffing Costs at Wexford General Hospital Surge to Nearly €3.5 Million

Concerns are mounting over a sharp rise in spending on agency healthcare staff at Wexford General Hospital, with new figures revealing a significant increase in recent years.

Data shows that in 2023, the hospital spent €522,000 on agency healthcare assistants. That figure rose dramatically to €2.474 million in 2024, and has climbed further to €3.491 million so far in 2025.

The spending relates to private agencies supplying healthcare assistants and nurses, prompting fresh questions about staffing practices within the Health Service Executive.

Wexford Labour TD George Lawlor has described the scale of the increase as deeply concerning, arguing it reflects a lack of long-term workforce planning. He said the system has become overly reliant on agencies, describing it as a “simplification” where services can simply “ring an agency” to fill gaps rather than investing in permanent staff.

Deputy Lawlor also pointed to the number of Irish-trained medical professionals working abroad, citing reports of around 7,000 doctors and nurses currently in Australia. He questioned why greater efforts are not being made to offer secure, full-time positions at home, instead of continuing to rely on agency staffing.

The Wexford TD believes a substantial portion of public funding may now be going to private agencies rather than frontline services, and is calling for the issue to be urgently examined at a national level. He added that greater transparency and a renewed focus on permanent recruitment are needed to ensure sustainability and continuity of care within the health system.