Defence Forces

Tuesday, 8 November 2022

Questions (500)

Paul Donnelly

Question:

500. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Defence the number of vacancies for doctors, nurses, and dentists currently in the Defence Forces medical corps as of 1 November 2022; and when these vacancies will be filled in tabular form. [55341/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Defence

I am informed by the military that the current number of vacancies for each of the requested positions are as follows:

Position	Vacancies	Remarks
Dentist	Four	A recruitment process for Defence Forces Direct Entry Dental Officers is ongoing.
Doctor	5	Medical Officer positions are advertised and processed on an ongoing basis. A list of Direct Entry applicants are currently under consideration for the role of Medical Officer in the Defence Forces.
Nurse	N/A	The Employment Control Framework for the Defence Forces provided in the past for 14 Army Nursing Service (ANS) staff. However, these positions are not included in the 9,500 Permanent Defence Force establishment. Options for the recruitment of nurses are currently being explored.