Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to claims made at the recent RACO conference that the military medical system is in a state of virtual collapse; the number of qualified medical doctors serving with the Defence Forces; the establishment level for the medical corps; the steps being taken to recruit additional medical personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34147/07]

Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Defence if a report on the revised structure for the delivery of medical services for the Defence Forces has been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34437/07]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 55 together.

As part of the modernisation agenda agreed under Sustaining Progress, a review of the provision of medical services in the Defence Forces has been ongoing. This review, involving the representative associations, has included the level of service to be provided to members of the Defence Forces and the resources required for the delivery of that service.

The review, carried forward into the modernisation agenda agreed under Towards 2016, has already delivered an agreed medical services patients' charter. Work on developing a revised structure for the delivery of medical services for the Defence Forces is ongoing.

The key issue is the acknowledged shortage of medical officers-doctors in the medical corps. The establishment for doctors provided for in the new organisation of the Defence Forces, introduced on foot of the White Paper on Defence, is 47. However, the current strength of medical officers serving in the Defence Forces is 22. There has been recruitment of medical officers each year but the number attracted to work in Defence Forces has just served to address natural wastage.

The problems with recruitment of medical officers into the Defence Forces have endured for some time, despite the concerted efforts of the Department and the Defence Forces to address the root causes. The pay and allowances of doctors and dentists in the Defence Forces were recently increased substantially, in consultation with the Minister for Finance. This linked their pay to public health doctors and dentists. In addition, the Defence Forces have recently undertaken an intensive recruitment campaign. The results of both of these initiatives, however, have been disappointing. Civilian general practitioners are regularly engaged to provide primary care where medical officers are not available.

The development of the capacity of the medical corps also forms part of the programme for Government. I am committed to providing a medical service to meet the needs of the Defence Forces both at home and abroad. I am reviewing progress of the ongoing structural review and considering concrete steps to ensure our commitments in this regard.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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I note the Defence Forces have lost a doctor since November as the House was informed last month that the strength of the medical corps was 23.

What is the Minister's view on comments by RACO and its general secretary, Colonel Brian O'Keeffe, that the Department of Defence needs to think outside the box and introduce creative thinking on this matter? RACO also proposed annual check-ups of military personnel should be contracted outside the medical corps.

I am concerned with the drop in medical corps numbers when soon six doctors will be required to accompany the peacekeeping mission to Chad. RACO also gave a startling figure that only one Irish doctor has been recruited in the past five years.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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No member of the Defence Forces will go out without medical treatment. That we do not have a full complement in the medical corps means expertise from outside the Defence Forces must be hired, which is done.

There are compelling reasons for the difficulties in recruitment to the medical corps. First, it is not the ideal career opportunity for a doctor as they may not get to widen their medical expertise. One complaint made concerned pay which has been increased substantially by kind permission of the Department of Finance.

The Army is not unique in this regard. Other armies have informed me they have great difficulty in filling their medical corps complements. I agree with Colonel Brian O'Keeffe that we must think outside the box. We are considering engaging consultants to give ideas on progressing the matter.

In the United Kingdom, the army medical corps and the NHS have partially integrated. Specific wards in several hospitals are set aside where army doctors treat military personnel and general patients, allowing them to widen their range of expertise. I am not suggesting this will be the model to follow but such arrangements are being examined.

Doctors in the Army, except when they are abroad, will treat healthy and fit young people, with a small range of ailments. It is known as occupational medicine. We are examining ways of attracting doctors to give them extra skills and qualifications for their time spent in the Army.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Last week the Minister said the complement of the medical corps stood at 21, so it has gone up one this week.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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It is a moveable feast.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Of the 22 doctors, what is the breakdown between native Irish and non-national doctors?

The Minister accepts incentives must be given. The greatest incentive would be to provide child care facilities to young doctors. Up to 3,000 military personnel are based in the Curragh and, with decentralisation, another 500 will be located there. However, it has no crèche facility. That is not an incentive to a young married person to join the Defence Forces.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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With all due respect, there will not be a flood of doctors into the Army if a crèche is provided in the Curragh.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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It is a required facility. It has been ongoing problem.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I do not want to be facetious but it is a deeper problem than that.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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The Minister is avoiding it.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I am not avoiding it but it is a deeper problem. It is a problem that has occurred under successive Governments, including that of the Deputy's party, if I can think back long enough to remember when it was last in power.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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The Minister is getting narky. This is Deputy Willie O'Dea at his best.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The problem in attracting personnel to the medical corps is not unique to Ireland. We are working on the problem and we will do our utmost to attract more doctors into the Army. While there is nothing wrong with private medical practitioners, we do not want to rely on them.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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The numbers are moving between 21, 22 and 23. RACO's figures last month were between 18 and 20. Does the Minister stand over his figure of 22 doctors?

A mechanism often used by State services when short of professionals is to provide university scholarships to attract applicants. An applicant, when qualified, would then give a specific length of service to the State service sponsor. Such a scheme would not require people to contract for life to the Army. With such a contractual arrangement, a certain number of doctors will come on-stream in the Army on an ongoing basis.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I can only stand over the number written. My officials advise me that the present complement is 22. Members of the Army can apply to go to university and enter into their own arrangements to do so. The Deputy's suggestion of attracting individuals who want to study medicine might be a good one and we will put it into the mix.

In response to Deputy Deenihan, I think the figures are 14 national and eight non-national. I will confirm these figures and let the Deputy know.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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I wish to ask a final supplementary question. I am disappointed that the Minister trivialised the crèche issue.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That is not a supplementary question.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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This is an ongoing problem. A committee is sitting to discuss the provision of a crèche at the Curragh and elsewhere. Can the Minister give us any assurance that the committee will be asked to report as soon as possible? If so, will he provide a crèche? There is one in the Oireachtas. I do not know how much it is used but it is available for us in the Houses. Surely there should be one at the Curragh if the Minister wants to provide an incentive, among the many he will need to provide, to attract people into the military.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I will find out what is happening about the crèche at the Curragh. The increase in the Defence Forces Vote this year was 7%, probably its highest increase in the past 25 years. We are getting a lot of money and spending it to best effect.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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It is still under 1% of GDP which it was in our time.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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GDP was very small in the Deputy's time.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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It is getting smaller.