For trusts it has resulted in unfilled vacancies, often filled by paying premium locum rates.

And this week Dublin was short three judges due to unfilled vacancies and sick leave.

Others talked about heightened stress and unfilled vacancies.

At the chalk face they're saying that, with unfilled vacancies in schools across the university, the money could be better spent.

The unfilled vacancies were in a wide variety of subjects, not just the known shortage areas of science and maths, Mr Thomas said.

Other unfilled vacancies dealing with intellectual property rest in the Patent and Trademark Office, the United States Trade Representative and the State Department.

Photo: 123RF Principals in the city have been saying the situation is a crisis and some schools will start the year with unfilled vacancies.

Mr Eamon Gilmore described as "critical" the lack of professional planners throughout the State, which had left local authorities with 100 approved but unfilled vacancies.

It calls for "proper" financial allocations to the health service and the immediate appointment of medical personnel because of the huge number of unfilled vacancies.

Auckland's primary schools will soon have 100 unfilled vacancies and principals around the country are nervous about finding enough teachers for 2019, school leaders say.

Unfilled vacancies stood at a record high of 824,000, amid falls in migration to the UK from the EU after the Brexit vote.