Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 5: To ask the Minister for Defence the action, in view of the statement by his Minister of State in this House on 10 April 2008 that in regard to the patients charter agreed for the Defence Forces he had been assured that issues such as publicising the charter, displaying names of medical personnel and the awareness of personnel with responsibility for the management of medical care would be addressed in the coming weeks, that has been taken in each of these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20064/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The challenges in the medical arena have been recognised for some time and a review of the provision of medical services, in association with the representative associations, is ongoing as part of the modernisation agenda for the Defence Forces. The scope of the review includes 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 has produced the patients charter with the agreement of all parties, which I welcome. The agreement on the patients charter identifies the rights of members of the Defence Forces as patients and their obligations as users of the Defence Forces medical services. It also identifies the obligations on the providers of the services.

The implementation of the patients charter is under way. The military authorities have assured me that the patients charter has been published on the Medical Corps section of the Defence Forces intranet site. In addition, copies have been circulated, for display, to all of the medical aid posts and clinics. The brigade medical officers have also been directed to implement its provisions.

However, the full implementation of the charter is clearly dependent on the resolution of the structural, resource and other challenges facing the Medical Corps. As I have stated, the challenges we face with medical services in the Defence Forces go beyond the patients charter. It is but one item on the medical review agenda.

As I have already advised, consultants are being engaged to make recommendations on the best means of meeting the medical requirements of the Defence Forces. The patients charter will inform the deliberations of the consultants.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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The feedback I am receiving from certain elements of the Defence Forces is that the content of the patients charter has not been communicated to all the rank and file members. Will the Minister ensure that this is done? Will he appoint some high-ranking offices to take charge of the implementation of the patients charter? This seems to make sense. The charter is just not displayed at doctors' surgeries and other locations in the barracks around the country. I am sure it is possible to make its content known to every member of the Defence Forces by letter. Some time ago, the Minister sent a communication to everyone in the country about the national emergency plan and, therefore, it should be possible to communicate the content of the patients charter to the 13,000 military personnel in the Defence Forces. Some years ago, the content of the dignity charter was communicated and displayed widely. The same should apply to the patients charter.

Is there a commitment in the patients charter that every member of the Defence Forces will have a medical check in the course of any given year? I understand there is,. but last year approximately 2,000 personnel did not have a medical check.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I take the Deputy's point about communicating the content of the charter to every member of the Defence Forces. I have no doubt that this was suggested to him but what we have done was requested at meetings of the representative associations and the military. It was requested that the charter be published on the intranet site and communicated to the medical aid posts and clinics. It was also requested that the medical aid officers be instructed to implement the charter in each brigade area. Nobody made a request to me to communicate the content of the charter to every individual but I am quite open to it if the representatives want to approach me in that regard.

Deputy Deenihan stated the charter is not displayed at all the appropriate locations. I was informed by the people to whom I spoke in recent days that it is displayed quite prominently in certain areas.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Not every area.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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It is not displayed in every area yet. Some of the measures in the charter will not be implemented until we manage to deal with the structural problems we have been discussing. I will certainly consider and talk to people about the suggestion that a particular officer be appointed to take charge of the charter.

There is a commitment in the charter to offering an annual medical check to every member of the Defence Forces. We hope to do better in this regard this year but, as I stated, circumstances will not be ideal until the underlying problems are dealt with effectively.