Student and trade union representatives have called on the HSE to guarantee employment to student radiographers and radiation therapists graduating this year.
Making the call, Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éireann (AMLÉ), formerly known as the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), and SIPTU have warned that the lack of available posts is pushing newly trained healthcare professionals to emigrate or leave the sector entirely.
They say that after four years of intensive study, this year’s graduates “are facing a stagnant public job market” and are being told there are no jobs available to them.
“Radiation therapy machines are lying idle and diagnostic scan waiting lists are growing, yet qualified graduates are being denied the opportunity to work.
“Public money has been spent on training these professionals and purchasing advanced equipment, but neither is being used effectively due to continued understaffing”, the two organisations said in a statement.
They say that since July 2023, a freeze on job approvals by the HSE has left radiology and radiation therapy departments under-resourced.
As a result, patients are facing delays in diagnosis and treatment, and departments are unable to meet current demand.
AMLÉ and SIPTU have criticised what they described as “irresponsible workforce planning” and a “misuse of public funds”.
They say that many students trained in Ireland are now being forced to emigrate, while the HSE increasingly relies on expensive outsourcing to fill gaps in the service.
They have urged the HSE to immediately approve the hiring of 2025 radiography and radiation therapy graduates; to provide clear timelines for when posts will be made available; and to align graduate output with actual workforce planning and service needs.