Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Defence the number of vacancies currently in the Defence Forces Medical Corps; if these vacancies will be filled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41061/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Based on the medical requirement across the Defence Forces as a whole, there is a current requirement for approximately 32 doctors within the Defence Forces Medical Corps. There are currently 17 doctors serving in the Permanent Defence Force and the table below shows the locations where these doctors are currently posted.

*The re-organisation of the Defence Forces into a 2 Brigade structure is currently being implemented.

A competition for the appointment of doctors to the Medical Corps remains open and further applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Unfortunately there has been and remains a limited response to this competition and therefore, it is accepted that it will take some time before the current target of 32 doctors in the Defence Forces can be achieved, if indeed it proves possible to reach this figure.

Against this background, it has been necessary to identify alternative options for the provision of medical services to the Defence Forces, including the consideration of the outsourcing of some or all Defence Forces domestic medical services. In this regard an integrated model for the provision of the required medical services, involving both the Medical Corps and outsourced service provision is being progressed. A Request for Information (RFI) from prospective providers was issued in June to assist in evaluating options. A total of 15 proposals were received and these are currently being evaluated.