Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There was no mention of a pathway to implement the working time directive and the process to see it delivered. It is an important issue for members of the Defence Forces, but it is concerning that there has been no discussion of it in a budgetary context. It is disappointing that the matter rests in the subhead related to the courts and, given that people wish to see a pathway delivered, the Department's response to the challenge is also disappointing.

The Minister of State stated 24 doctors are employed. How many vacancies are there for specialist posts, such as in psychiatry? The Minister of State also stated the payments to the Defence Forces for professional consultants and specialists have started to be met from subhead A7, but there is little mention of it under that subhead. There are many personnel throughout the country who must use PDFORRA's fund or their own family to obtain appointments in private hospitals because of the demise of medical staff within the Defence Forces. People are being forced to retire as a result of their medical condition or physical difficulty which, in some circumstances, is due to a lack of intervention. For example, if someone has had an arthritic knee for two years without the appropriate intervention because he or she is waiting to be seen in the public system, and if there is a shortage in the cohort of medical staff within the Defence Forces, he or she will be in limbo and unfit to continue. Consideration needs to be given to some type of fast-track process for people who require intervention for their employment and are forced out because of their medical circumstances, where they could have had the appropriate intervention. Does the Minister of State have any pathway to increase the number of doctors employed or on the level of availability for diagnostics for members of the Defence Forces? I have many examples of people who have to join the queue despite the €17 billion that the State is spending on defence in general.

Part of what was built into the terms and conditions of members of the Defence Forces was the fact that there would be a medical corps. There was supposed to be access to diagnostics and medical specialties but we have not advanced the specialisation of medicine in our Defence Forces. Members are left in limbo. The Minister of State's Department should look at that. Genuine people are being forced out because of medical circumstances in a way none of us should allow.