Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Defence Forces are currently providing support to the HSE, as co-ordinated by the joint task force during the Covid-19 crisis, in three areas: on testing, 26 Defence Forces personnel are deployed on a daily basis to test centres throughout the country; on tracing, 20 lines are serviced by 40 personnel, with 20 in both Kilkenny and Donegal; and on tenting, 42 Defence Forces tents are deployed to both testing and vaccination centres throughout the country. This will increase from 19 November and 22 November, respectively, in regard to the following: on tenting, 40 Defence Forces personnel will be deployed on a daily basis to testing centres throughout the country, which requires a commitment of about 80 personnel; and on tracing, the 30 lines in Dublin, Kilkenny and Donegal will require a commitment of about 65 personnel.

What we are trying to do is provide resources to the HSE so it can focus its resources on hospitals, for example, in Kerry, that might be under pressure. On the idea that we could effectively staff our hospitals with Defence Forces personnel, I do not think that is realistic. We have had a number of occasions when Defence Forces personnel have been asked to help out with residential care facilities, for example, in terms of temporary staffing pressures, and the Defence Forces, as ever, have responded professionally to that kind of work. Of course, in terms of moving patients around, the Defence Forces have also been helpful in supporting the ambulance service, when asked. However, let us not forget that the Defence Forces are there to offer assistance when the HSE is under significant pressure. They are not there to run a health service.

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