Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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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 dealt with, among other things, 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 which has been carried forward into the modernisation agenda agreed under the Towards 2016 Partnership Agreement 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 at this time is the acknowledged shortage of medical officers (Doctors) in the Medical Corps. Whereas the establishment for doctors provided for in the new organisation of the Defence Forces introduced on foot of the White Paper on Defence is forty seven (47), the current strength of Medical Officers serving in the Defence Forces is twenty three (23), one of whom is on leave of absence without pay. 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 were increased substantially recently, 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 have been disappointing. Currently 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 agreed programme for Government. I am committed to providing a medical service to meet the needs of the Defence Forces both at home and abroad and I am currently reviewing progress on this issue to ensure that our commitments under the Programme for Government and the Towards 2016 modernisation agenda are met.