The Health Minister has praised the HSE’s on-going three-day recruitment fair, which has seen 19 nursing jobs offered.

This number contrasts with the 1,000 nursing positions the HSE is attempting to fill, but Minister Harris said the recruitment fair was ony one initiative planned this year to reach that target.

The HSE agreed it never expected to fill all of the positions in the space of the three-day recruitment event, saying they envisage the 1,000 nursing positions being filled by the end of 2017.

They plan to hold more recruitment days around the country throughout the year.

Minister Simon Harris was at the event in Dublin earlier, which is aimed at nurses who are home in Ireland for Christmas.

Minister Harris (pictured) said the three-day recruitment event at Dr Steevens’ Hospital in Dublin 8 had been positive so far.

“I understand 52 nurses and midwives have been interviewed today and 19 were offered jobs yesterday,” he said.

“The Bring Them Home campaign which ran over a sustained period of time only managed to bring back 88 nurses – and we have another day to go tomorrow (at the Dublin event).”