Up to 55 health employers from Ireland, the UK, Australia and Singapore are competing to recruit nurses and other staff at the Health Sector Expo in Dublin's RDS today.

It comes as the Irish Nurses and Midwives' Organisation (INMO) is blaming restrictive hiring rules in the health service.

Last December, the HSE introduced a requirement for one staff member to leave before a new one could be recruited.

In recent weeks, hospitals have further tightened these rules to “three out, one in” in response to increasing financial pressures.

Stephen McLarnon, MD of Recruitment at Health Sector Jobs, says that there is confusion within the market.

"I think the fact that there is a lack of a government out there at the moment is making it a bit more difficult to communicate what exactly is happening in the market," he explained.