The Department of Health has been called on to urgently examine the costs incurred by the HSE in relation to the hiring of agency staff within the health service.

The call comes after the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform predicted that the cost of hiring such staff may amount to €326 million this year, the majority of which will go on doctors and nurses.

According to Fine Gael Senator and the party's Seanad spokesperson on health, Colm Burke, the employment of agency staff is causing ‘huge concern' in many hospitals, not least because agency staff can earn three or four times more than the people they are working beside.

He noted that more than five years ago, it was identified that the contracts being offered to junior doctors were unattractive as they were short term and did not provide a clear career path'.

"In 2013/2014, three reports were published by the McCraith Review Group which set out a number of recommendations as to how doctors would be employed into the future. There is no evidence that the recommendations in these reports are being implemented - offering six month contracts to highly qualified medical graduates is not acceptable and a large number have moved to other jurisdictions where they can get three, four and five-year contracts with a clear career path provided," Senator Burke said.

He pointed out that since so many junior doctors have left the Irish health service, consultant posts are now being left unfilled. An estimated 300 of the 2,500 consultant posts are currently vacant, with one hospital alone having 24 vacancies out of 96 consultant posts.

Meanwhile, Senator Burke also noted that the employment of agency staff can create more work, ‘as permanent staff have to go through what the practice and procedures are within the hospital structure with each new agency staff member'.

He also emphasised that a constant change in staff can affect continuity, ‘meaning the priority of patient care is being diluted'.

"The fact that over €326 million will be spent on agency staff for 2014 further emphasises the need for long-term planning within our health system. We need to ensure that our health sector is never again placed in the position in which it currently finds itself," Senator Burke added.