Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 464: To ask the Minister for Defence his views on whether facilities will be made available at the Curragh Military Hospital in order to assist with the overcrowding situation at Naas General Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38695/05]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The military medical services and their facilities exist primarily to maintain the health of the Defence Forces and to support them in operational and overseas activities.

The reorganisation of the Medical Corps, which was effected as part of the Defence Forces review implementation plan in November 1998, redirected the focus of military medical care from a predominantly hospital based service to one in which primary, occupational and field support would continue to be further developed. The Medical Corps facility at the Curragh is not in fact a hospital facility but a military medical facility, MMF. Military medical facilities such as the one at the Curragh have associated infirmaries for the provision of low technology care to "living-in" personnel, largely recruits and other training course students, who may be suffering from minor physical injury or routine type illness. The bed capacity available at the Curragh for such military personnel is quite limited. The Curragh military medical facility, MMF, cannot provide acute hospital type health services to civilian patients. There is therefore no scope for consideration of the proposal made by the Deputy.