It's emerged €215 million has been spent on external staff in the first seven months of this year.
A midlands junior minister says a HSE recruitment ban needs to be lifted to remove the reliance on agency staff.
Laois-Offaly TD and Minster of State for Finance, Seán Fleming, says the chief executive of the HSE effectively put an embargo on the recruitment of all staff last year to keep costs down.
But it's emerged €215 million has been spent on external staff in the first seven months of this year.
The Fianna Fáil deputy says more permanent staff should be employed once the estimate for HSE spending for the year ahead is outlined in next month's budget:
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