Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

A competition for the appointment of doctors to the Medical Corps was advertised. Unfortunately, there was a limited response and only two applications are currently being processed in this regard. The competition remains open and a further advertisement will be published shortly. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis but it will obviously take some time before the current target of 32 doctors in the Defence Forces can be achieved. Against that background, alternative arrangements to address the ongoing shortfall in medical officers are being developed by the central medical unit in consultation with the Department, including the potential to retain contracted doctors or a contracted medical service provider to meet the deficiencies.

There are currently 16 doctors serving in the Permanent Defence Force and the following table, which will be circulated, shows the locations where those doctors are currently posted.

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