Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

As somebody who has been through the process of medical training, I may be able to offer the Minister some insight. It is correct that medical services are being provided to Defence Forces personnel as required. However, they are often provided by non-national doctors, some of whom have questionable qualifications. This was a cause for particular concern in Liberia, for example.

The main reason it is difficult to recruit young doctors into the Army is because they do not consider it a worthwhile experience. Even if massive annual salaries of €120,000 were offered, the problem would persist because young doctors do not consider a stint in the Army to be worth anything in terms of their career path. It does not require a consultant to point to the obvious solution, which is to ask the colleges to consider including a military rotation, whether for six months or a year, as part of a senior house officer or registrar's GP and surgical training schemes. Such an option would be attractive. People, including myself prior to entering politics, who are interested in doing an Army stint would be extremely interested in a four or five-year training scheme which incorporates a year as part of the Defence Forces. That is not currently an option. In terms of one's career progression, a year or two in the Army is effectively a waste of time. Will the Minister's consultants consider such an approach?

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