Emmet Stagg
Ceist:141 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Defence the plans he has to upgrade the medical services available to members of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22997/00]
Written Answers. - Medical Corps.
The re-organisation of the medical corps, which was effected as part of the Defence Forces review implementation plan in November 1998, was embraced as an opportunity to redirect the focus of military medical care in the Defence Forces from a predominantly hospital based service to one in which primary, occupational and field support would continue to be further developed.
Nurses of the Army nursing service have taken up new appointments as members of occupational care teams in the Air Corps and Naval Service and it is planned that more nurses will be offered similar appointments in the larger barracks throughout the country, within the next year or two.
Medical equipment is the subject of a continuing replacement and upgrading programme. Equipment being purchased this year includes spirometers and new vision screening instruments. Financial provision is being made for the purchase in 2001 of new field medical equipment, to support future peacekeeping missions.
One of the key financial and managerial reforms set out in the strategic management initiative was to establish a system of expenditure reviews in all areas of public spending. The main purpose of these reviews is to ensure the most efficient use of resources by Departments within the financial envelopes agreed by Government. For instance, the White Paper and the completion of special studies of the Air Corps and Naval Service constitute very substantial policy and expenditure reviews in the Defence area. In addition, an interdepartmental group has also carried out a comprehensive review of the present arrangements for the provision of medical services for the Defence Forces. Their report has recently been completed and submitted to the central steering committee for the expenditure review programme for evaluation. I will be considering their recommendations shortly when this process is complete.
In addition, as Deputies will be well aware, the wider body of health services which serve the general public are constantly reviewed. Therefore, I fully accept the need regularly to examine, and where necessary to re-evaluate, the services provided by the Medical Corps to ensure that these services, provided for military personnel, match those provided elsewhere and that they are provided in the most cost efficient and effective manner.