DEVON County Council paid out more than £4m on agency staff at its 20 care homes which are closing because of stringent budget cuts, over the last three years, the Echo can reveal.
The authority said agency staff are used to cover temporary absences for permanent staff.
But he said the council has reduced agency spend from 12 per cent to less than five per cent of total staff costs over the last three years by developing internal staff banks who provide flexible support.
In June, the council announced its decision to shut 20 of its 22 care homes, affecting about 260 elderly residents, in a bid to make budget reductions of £110m from its expenditure by 2017 – £28m in this financial year.
In figures contained in a Freedom of Information request, from 2011 – 2014, the authority paid out £4,320,173 on agency staff – just under £2m in 2011/12, just over £1.6m in 2012/13 and just under £750,000 in 2013/14.
At the now closed Arthur Roberts home in Exeter, in the 2013/14 financial year just under £65,000 was spent on agency staff.
And at Davey Court in Exmouth, just under £160,000 went on agency staff.
The expenditure has been heavily criticised by Lib Dem ward member for Exmouth, Councillor Eileen Wragg, who questioned the expenditure on "expensive" agency staff in light of the need to save money.
Last month the Echo revealed that the council is set to pay out almost £5.5m in staff redundancy pay to its 771 employees, an equivalent of 486 full-time positions, following the closures.
"From information I have acquired over several years, there has been a gradual decline in the numbers of residents in some of the homes, resulting in the homes being unviable, particularly with maintenance and repair costs needed to keep them open," said Cllr Wragg.
"It is well known that employing agency staff in whatever industry is expensive and to do so routinely is questionable.
"This seems an extraordinary amount to spend employing agency staff.
"Why on earth could the council not have addressed the issue of understaffing before?"
A Devon County Council spokesperson confirmed that agency staff are used to cover temporary absences for staff training, annual leave, maternity leave and sickness.
