Cork North Central TD Ken O’Flynn has said the HSE cannot tell the public what it is getting for millions of euro spent on recruitment advertising, after replies confirmed that no part of the organisation tracks where the money goes.
In replies dated 23 October 2026, the HSE confirmed that its statutory services spent €1.5 million on recruitment advertising in the first six months of this year alone. “If spending continues at that rate, the bill for the full year will come to around €3 million. That figure does not include the voluntary hospitals,” the Independent Ireland TD said.
“HSE Finance said its systems cannot separate out how much was spent advertising consultant posts. HSE National HR said it does not track recruitment advertising costs at all. The HSE also confirmed it does not record what it spends on international recruitment campaigns, relocation packages or recruitment agencies, despite years of heavy reliance on hiring from overseas. It added that there may be inconsistencies in how spending is coded while its new finance system is still being rolled out,” he said.
Deputy O’Flynn said:
“Finance says it can’t break the figure down. HR says it doesn’t track it. So who does? Nobody, and that is the problem.”
“Any household in Cork could tell you what they spent on car insurance last year. The HSE has one of the biggest budgets in the State and it cannot tell you what it spent on job ads, or what it spent bringing staff in from abroad.”
“I have been pressing the HSE on this since June. Earlier this year it admitted it had not carried out any value for money assessment of this spending. It also told me that only 1% of applicants for consultant posts said they saw the job advertised in a journal. Now we find out nobody is even keeping the receipts.”
“We need doctors and nurses. Families waiting on trolleys in CUH know that better than anyone. But you cannot fix a staffing crisis if you don’t know what is working and what is money down the drain.”
“I am calling on the Minister for Health to direct the HSE to record this spending properly, publish it, and carry out a proper value for money review before another euro goes out the door,” he said.