Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Less than 1% of the personnel in the organisation is on the working family payment. People talk about 70%, 60% and 40% but it is actually less than 1% of the Defence Forces organisation personnel. That includes the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces. I have not come across people who have not been able to get on the housing list. I do not know about people's personal circumstances. The working family payment is there for a reason. It depends on the size of the family and other reasons.

We are trying to recruit a psychiatrist and that is proving difficult. I understand that a proposal is coming to me shortly around that. The Deputy knows, given that he is a spokesperson in this area, that recruitment of psychiatrists is an issue not just for the Defence Forces but for the HSE as well. Members of the Defence Forces and the Chief of Staff reiterated this at a committee meeting last Thursday, and any enlisted personnel or officer personnel receive all the medical mental care and attention from the private market when it is required.

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