Trade unions have warned that job vacancies at the Health Service Executive up to the end of 2023 have been effectively suppressed and have now been lost.
The ICTU group of healthcare unions representing staff in the HSE has said it remains concerned over the ability of the executive to staff its services adequately.
Unions met with the HSE following the announcement on Sunday that it had lifted its ban on recruitment, which had been in place since October 2023.
Albert Murphy of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said they were advised that unfilled posts from 2023 have to be considered in the context of the headcount for 2024.
"That is a complicated way of saying that these posts are effectively lost," Mr Murphy said.
Unions have also raised questions with the HSE about how, in the absence of filling posts, funding for sanctioned posts was spent.
"We believe the failure to fill these posts will continue to place severe pressure on healthcare workers to provide a safe service," said Kevin Figgis of SIPTU.
"The provision of timely and safe care is now an afterthought," he said.
Unions have said they will reflect on today's meeting and revert back to management later in the week.
"The inconsistency in its approach to human resources management doesn't bode well for an employer, like the HSE, that's hoping to persuade young workers to take up health service employment rather than leave the country," said Fórsa's Ashley Connolly.
The ICTU Group of healthcare unions is made up of representatives from the Connect, Fórsa, Irish Medical Organisation, the INMO, Medical Laboratory Scientist Association, SIPTU and Unite trade unions.
Last week the Government announced that the HSE was to be given an extra €1.5 billion in funding.
It said this money is required due to the need for better quality healthcare, the complexity of providing health services and the legacy impact of a post-pandemic and heightened inflationary environment.
The HSE said around 900 equivalent agency full-time posts will be converted to HSE posts this year.
Health unions have expressed concern that the staff embargo is being replaced with a staff ceiling, based on HSE December 2023 employment numbers, plus room for around 4,300 extra posts.
The HSE said recruitment limits and controls for regions have been set and cannot be breached.
In a statement, the HSE said that from today approximately ten people are authorised to put an individual on the payroll system.
"This new system provides the necessary checks and balances to ensure that recruitment stays in line with our commitment to government," a spokesperson said.
"There will be 2,350 new jobs advertised for this year, and recruitment has started for some with the rest to be recruited by the end of the year. Managers will have to control recruitment to stay in line with the approved maximum," the HSE said.
