by HRHQ Editorial Team
Ireland’s healthcare sector faces a challenging outlook in 2025 marked by soaring demand from an aging population, persistent workforce shortages, significant wage increases across the private sector, as well as increasing financial pressures on long-term care facilities.
Minimum wage increases set for January 2025 could lead to a 10pc increase in wages across the board, while minimum salary thresholds for non-EU nurses who require a critical skills Visa will raise to €44,000 and Healthcare Assistants to €34,000. Both public and private healthcare providers are under mounting pressure to remain competitive while addressing critical staffing and care demands.
Excel Recruitment, a leading recruitment specialist, recentlyy released its 2025 Healthcare Sector Salary Guide, detailing these and other critical pressures shaping Ireland’s healthcare landscape. The report outlines significant challenges, from regulatory barriers to housing shortages, that are intensifying staff attrition, with international recruitment becoming increasingly necessary but constrained.
The report also shows that the sector is increasingly reliant on international recruitment to address staffing shortages, but attrition remains high among non-EU employees, with over 50pc leaving within 18 months. Key barriers include regulatory exam fees for nurses nearing €3,000, a severe shortage of affordable housing, and strict 50/50 recruitment rules.
The recruitment experts contend that these obstacles are major factors contributing to the high turnover among non-EU healthcare workers.
