Galway’s public hospitals are moving to directly employ in-house security officers after spending nearly €9.5 million on private security contracts since 2020. The HSE confirmed it is actively recruiting staff to reduce reliance on external providers, with interviews held this month for Galway University Hospitals (GUH ) at the HSE Western Regional Health Forum, which took place on Tuesday.
Between 2020 and early 2025, Bidvest Noonan Ltd and Golden Eye Security were paid a combined €9.45 million to provide hospital security services, predominantly at University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park.
Cllr Shane Forde questioned the sustainability of such costs, “We spent over €9 million on private security, yet a patient I spoke with recently is waiting for a CT colonoscopy because we are only doing one a week. Couldn’t some of that funding be directed to radiology or frontline services?”
Cllr Eileen Mannion also raised concerns about the overreliance on private firms, asking, “Why are we not hiring more directly employed security officers to reduce costs and build internal capacity?”
Integrated Health Area Manager Ann Cosgrove defended the necessity of robust security, “Security plays a vital role in ensuring a safe environment for patients, staff, and visitors. From managing helipads to responding to behavioural incidents, their work is indispensable.”
The HSE has committed to balancing contracted and directly employed staff, citing headcount limitations. Direct hires receive specialised training, including Therapeutic Management of Violence, while frontline staff are encouraged to complete crisis intervention training.
This news comes following the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s (INMO ) call earlier this month for increased numbers of security guards and CCTV in hospitals in response to what it has described as an ‘increasing number of assaults and verbal abuse’.
While Cosgrove admitted that local hospitals have, in recent times, been trying to move away from contracting private security firms, she explained the multifaceted role such individuals play in Galway’s hospitals.
“Throughout the system, there are a lot of tasks that they (security personnel ) do, as well as being required to deal with particularly difficult behavioural issues and the fracas that happens at times within our services,” explained Cosgrove, adding, “The presence of security on a hospital site is really important for patients, for visitors and for the staff working in the hospital to try and ensure that there’s a safe and secure environment.”
