Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

I suggest the Minister invite the steering committee to address the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights on this issue. The opportunity presents for the setting up of a general practitioners training course within the medical corps. This would ensure that people who join could pursue, as part of their training, a general practitioners training course which would be of assistance to them in the community. This might encourage a number of people to join.

The last figure we received in respect of medical practitioners in the Defence Forces is 23. How many have we now and how many of them are non-national? Also, how many nurses are there in the Army?

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