The HSE has launched a major recruitment drive to help deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
It is urging all healthcare professionals who are not registered with the health service to be "on call for Ireland".
Anyone who has retired within the last five years will be able to return to work in the health service as it deals with the outbreak.
The Minister for Health Simon Harris said it needs "all hands on deck".
He said: "We want to hire everybody we can possibly find to work in the health service.
"We want people who perhaps retired in recent years to come back if they're able to.
"We want people who might be working part-time, if they're able to work full time, we'll help them with that.
"We want student nurses perhaps or other students to take up roles in the health service, even if can't work as a fully-fledged nurse, in other roles, other jobs."
Today we launch a massive recruitment drive for the Irish health service. Nurses, doctors, healthcare assistants and all healthcare professionals, your country needs you! Go to https://t.co/FcV6QXIHGE & sign up if you think you can help #covid19 #coronavirus Please retweet!
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) March 17, 2020
Minister Harris added: "We want to hire everybody we can possibly find.
"There will be no financial constraints, the health service can hire everybody and anybody that is suitably qualified to work in the Irish public health service."
It comes after the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned that around half the population could be infected with the virus and that the HSE wants to avoid a spike that could overwhelm the health service.
Main image: Minister for Health Simon Harris at a press briefing at government buildings last week. Photo: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie
