Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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124. To ask the Minister for Defence if he has met the five members of the Defence Force's medical team who have returned home after four months in Sierra Leone, where they assisted efforts to stem the Ebola outbreak; if a replacement team has been sent out; and his plans to harness the skills and experience these members have gained. [21296/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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To assist in Ireland's response to the Ebola Crisis in West Africa, five (5) Defence Forces medical personnel deployed to Sierra Leone in January 2015 to participate in the wider international response to the crisis. Prior to their deployment, I met with the team in Collins Barracks, Cork.

Irish personnel are part of a UK-led Joint Inter-Agency Task Force tackling Ebola in West Africa. The Irish contingent rotated last month and five (5) medical personnel returned to Ireland on Friday 22 May 2015 after completing their four (4) month tour of duty.

The replacement contingent has been reduced to four (4) Irish personnel, due to the success of the operation in tackling the Ebola virus. Irish personnel are not engaged in direct treatment of Ebola victims but continue to provide a supporting role to front line workers who are so engaged.

It is Defence Forces' policy to conduct after action reviews with all contingents returning from overseas missions. With regard to the deployment of the Central Medical Unit Detachment to Sierra Leone, active contact was maintained throughout their service in Sierra Leone. The information gleaned in operating in such a hazardous environment has been captured by the Defence Forces for future use. The lessons learned were utilised to develop the medical protocols necessary to train Naval Service personnel for the current humanitarian deployment in the Mediterranean. The returning medical personnel will be deployed to roles within the Defence Forces Central Medical Unit and are available to support the HSE with the skills they have acquired should a requirement ever be necessary.