HSE chief executive Cathal Magee said today that the number of health service workers will be cut by a further 6,000 by the end of 2014.

There are currently around 105,000 people working in the HSE, down from a peak of 112,000 in 2008.

The HSE already has a recruitment moratorium in place.

Mr Magee said that this, along with an early retirement scheme, brought about by favourable tax changes, will result in more savings in the next six months.

"You know, 83% of pay is basic pay and PRSI, and so about 17% is focused on agency costs over time on call," he said. "So we will look at the add-on costs and reducing those as much as we can."