TWO DUBLIN HOSPITALS are short over 300 staff, a politician has claimed.

According to figures given to the Regional Health Forum for Dublin and the North East, the capital’s Mater and Beaumont Hospitals both have major staff shortages.

Irish hospitals are currently attempting to woo health professionals home, but that package has been deemed “wholly inadequate” by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

Those struggles to fill posts have left Beaumont Hospital operating with a shortage of 203 staff members, with the Mater Hospital 103 members down.

Beaumont’s staff shortages were at 151 just two months ago according to the same figures.

The INMO’s David Hughes has previously told TheJournal.ie that recruiting nursing staff comes down to market realities.

“There’s a market reality: you won’t get staff if you don’t pay as much as your competitors.”

Sinn Féin councillor for Ballymun, Santry, Whitehall, Glasnevin, Finglas East and Drumcondra Noeleen O’Reilly, who was given the figures, says they are alarming.

“The conditions in some of our hospitals are completely unacceptable and have not been addressed, leaving staff feeling undervalued and most definitely overworked.

Beaumont is the state’s largest hospital and North Dublin has the highest rate of people over the age of 65 in the state, these staff shortages are now becoming the norm in Beaumont and the Mater not the exception and that is not good enough.

The HSE passed a query from TheJournal.ie to representatives for the hospitals. That query was not answered.

The Department of Health has said that its national recruitment plan continues apace.