Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 6 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 4

Written Answers. - Defence Forces Recruitment.

Paul McGrath

Question:

92 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Defence if he has satisfied himself with the numbers of medical personnel employed in the Defence Forces; and if there are plans to increase these numbers in order that Defence Forces personnel do not have to travel hundreds of miles for an annual medical check. [20460/02]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

In common with other public sector health service providers, the medical corps encounters difficulty in the recruitment and retention of medical personnel. The Department of Defence, in consultation with the director of the medical corps, is endeavouring to seek ways to recruit additional medical personnel, notwithstanding these difficulties. Suitable local arrangements are made with civilian medical and dental practitioners to ensure that the appropriate level of professional care is available to members of the Defence Forces in cases where medical corps doctors or dentists are not available. The current establishment for medical officers, comprising doctors, dentists and pharmacists, in the medical corps is 61. At present, 33 of these positions are filled while there are vacancies for 23 doctors and five dentists.

The most recent competition to recruit doctors for the medical corps was advertised in March 2002 and so far has resulted in four applicants. One of the candidates was found suitable but declined an offer of appointment, one was found unsuitable and two candidates await interview. A competition to recruit dentists for the medical corps was advertised in July 2002 and so far has resulted in three applicants. The medical corps has been unable to attract more than one or two medical officers per year into the service and these generally leave the Defence Forces after one or two years. It is suspected that a significant component of the difficulty in attracting suitable applicants may be the unique nature of military medical officer appointments. Service in the medical corps is not a professional training employment such as non-consultant hospital doctor appointments or vocational training schemes in general practice. Service with the medical corps for a young doctor tends to be seen as a short-term expedient for the experience and the challenge of overseas service, rather than as a long-term career option.