A doctor serving in the Defence Forces has been told she is not allowed quit unless she pays almost €90,000 to the Department of Defence.
The doctor, Capt Lisa McNamee, first put in her resignation papers last February following six years of service and multiple overseas postings.
However, the department has refused to process her application, leaving her unable to resign and take up a new role.
“It’s basically compulsory military service,” said Independent Senator and former Army officer Tom Clonan. “She is being press-ganged into staying with the Defence Forces.”
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Mr Clonan, who has sought a meeting with Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin on the matter, said the controversy will discourage other young doctors from joining the Defence Forces at a time when it is in drastic need of medics.
The medical corps currently has 20 doctors, five short of requirements. Only about 10 of these doctors are capable of being deployed on overseas missions.
This has resulted in gaps in medical cover during peacekeeping missions, with doctors having to be deployed for shorter periods rather than full tours. Last year, 130 soldiers had to deploy to the Golan Heights in Syria without a medical officer as none were available.
According to documents seen by The Irish Times, the department claims Dr McNamee owes the Defence Forces three years further service under the terms of the undertaking she signed when joining.
Otherwise, she must pay €86,829, the equivalent of the salary she received while working on secondment with the HSE as part of her training programme.
However, Dr McNamee has argued her employers did not fulfil their side of the agreement as the military training programme did not function properly and had no oversight or exam process.
She has argued she never received a qualification in military medicine, as detailed in the undertaking. Furthermore, she has told her superiors that for some of the time she was supposed to be working for the HSE, she was actually working for the Defence Forces as a Covid-19 vaccinator.
Her employers have argued that because she received a qualification as a GP, which was awarded by the Irish College of General Practitioners, it has fulfilled its side of the agreement.
The matter has been complicated further as the department cannot locate a copy of the agreement it signed with Dr McNamee, according to internal documents.
“The official side has failed to honour their side of the agreement here,” said Cathal Berry, Independent TD for Co Kildare and a former Army doctor. “This is a highly unusual scenario, and the department is on dangerous ground.”
As a serving officer, Dr McNamee is precluded from speaking to the press. Her husband David Harte said her case is a “stark warning” to anyone considering becoming a military doctor.
“It doesn’t seem to matter if they don’t hold up their side of the bargain, they can still hold you hostage.”
He said his wife wanted to join the Reserve Defence Forces after resigning so she can still contribute but that this is now a remote possibility.
“I’m disgusted that this is Ireland in 2023. To tell a young mother no you can’t take a career break, no you can’t quit your job, we have total control over you. It’s absolutely disgusting.”
In response to queries, the department said it cannot comment on individual cases. It said the qualification associated with the Military Medicine Training Scheme is issued by the Defence Forces and not the department.
“Undertakings are standard practice across the public/Civil Service where taxpayers/public money is paid out to educate personnel. In return a specified length of service is required or alternatively a return of public monies for time paid whilst in the service of the Defence Forces,” a spokeswoman said.
The Defence Forces declined to comment.
