Longford graduate nurses left without jobs following withdrawal of employment contracts

GRADUATE nurses in Longford are facing ongoing uncertainty surrounding employment at Regional Hospital Mullingar and other hospitals across the Dublin and Midlands region following the withdrawal of employment contracts.

Speaking to Longford Live, Brandon Denniston from Newtownforbes said:

“After completing four years of nursing education and clinical placements, many of us are facing an uncertain future despite successfully completing the recruitment process for graduate nursing positions. We have attended interviews, submitted the required documentation, completed pre-employment checks and obtained our professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.

“We have done everything required of us to begin working as registered nurses, yet we have been informed that contracts cannot be issued and commencement dates cannot be confirmed due to HSE recruitment restrictions and financial controls.”

Brandon has been working as a care assistant for the past four years and is set to celebrate his graduation from the Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands on Wednesday.

Despite this, Brandon said the current situation is particularly concerning for graduates recruited to Regional Hospital Mullingar, as well as Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore and Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise. “We are ready and willing to begin working in our local hospitals, but we remain in limbo without any clear timeline for when we might be able to take up our positions.”

“We understand that hospitals continue to face staffing demands and that agency staff are used to provide nursing cover. This raises an obvious question: why are newly qualified nurses who have completed the recruitment process unable to commence employment while hospitals continue to require nursing staff? We would welcome an investigation into the circumstances behind these delays and whether recruitment restrictions are preventing hospitals from filling positions for which eligible graduates have already been recruited.

The local graduate added that there are also questions surrounding previous HSE commitments to nursing and midwifery graduates. “In February 2024, the HSE announced that graduates would be offered permanent contracts following completion of their courses and placements. We are seeking clarity on whether this commitment, or any comparable agreement, applies to the 2026 graduate cohort.

“We went for our recruitment process began at the end of June, and we went for interviews there and then the following two weeks, so we're talking mid-July at this stage, we got our marking sheets back, which basically assess how you performed in the interview and where you will place on the panel.”

Brandon explained that everything changed on October 13 when the graduates were informed by the HSE that the Department of Health introduced a new memo that prevents any recruitment at the moment because of budgetary constraint.

“The positions we were meant to fill within the Midlands hospitals are still going to be vacant. We've been given very little information by the Department of Health about what exactly this entails and what exactly we can expect moving forward as to when we will actually be recruited, as we are still being told by them we will be getting our post.

“There's staff burnout in the hospitals in the Midlands, there's staff shortages, there's vacancies, but the new graduates of 2026 are here, we're registered, and we've tried,” exclaimed Brandon

The consequences for graduates are not merely professional; they are financial and personal. Brandon said many are currently dependent on Jobseeker’s Allowance despite having completed a four-year professional degree and being registered and ready to work.

“After four years of hard work and dedication, it is deeply upsetting to find ourselves in this position. We want to remain in Ireland, contribute to our local hospitals and provide safe, compassionate care to patients. However, continued uncertainty about employment is forcing some graduates to consider opportunities abroad.

“We are concerned about what this means for the future of nursing in the Midlands. Public resources have been invested in educating and training nurses, yet graduates who have completed their training and recruitment requirements are facing unemployment while the health service continues to experience staffing pressures,” said Brandon. “If newly qualified nurses cannot secure positions in the hospitals where they have been recruited, there are legitimate questions to be asked about workforce planning, recruitment policy and the retention of nursing staff in the region.

“We believe the experiences of these graduates deserve to be heard. We would also welcome the opportunity for the HSE and relevant authorities to respond and clarify why contracts are being delayed and when graduates can expect to commence employment.

“We are not asking for preferential treatment. We are asking for the opportunity to begin the careers for which we have spent four years training, and for clarity on why we cannot take up positions for which we have completed the required recruitment process,” concluded Brandon.

One of Brandon’s peers, fellow TUS graduate and Ballinalee native Leah Heraty is also facing uncertainty, saying: “We're graduating on Wednesday and not having a job, it's just so disheartening.

“We got an email from HR in Mullingar to say that our contracts will be placed on hold and it's basically up to the hierarchy that will have to approve of this... It was so disappointing, we were so excited and like it's something I've always wanted to do.

Leah added: “We want to work for our country, we want to care for people and for the government to just do that and say there’s basically no jobs for us even though they’re crying out for nurses in this country and short-staffed all the time, it's just a kick in the teeth!”

HSE Dublin and Midlands issued the following statement:

“HSE Dublin and Midlands remains committed to employing all graduate nurses across our acute and mental health services.

“We understand the uncertainty this delay is causing and the impact it has on those awaiting confirmation. We are actively working through the required approvals and are hopeful that contracts will issue shortly.

“We look forward to welcoming these graduates to our services and value the important contribution they will make to patient care.”