Defence Forces to be trained in combating Ebola before flying to Sierra Leone

A Defence Forces medical team is to be trained in combating the Ebola virus before flying out to Sierra Leone this month.

It is the first time a Defence Forces treatment team has been deployed to fight the disease, which is focused in West Africa, although personnel have been dispatched to support Irish Embassy staff in Freetown.

A spokesman said the five-member unit – one doctor and four paramedics – would form part of a joint UK interagency task force. Members of the UK's armed forces have already established a fully functional field hospital in Kerry Town in the country and are charged with treating members of international aid agencies infected with the disease while working with the local population.

Before leaving for Sierra Leone the team will receive 10 days of specialised training in the UK, specifically dealing with the use of protective suits and protocols for helping those who have contracted the disease.

It follows a separate development last week when the Department of Foreign Affairs announced it would provide an additional €778,000 to help tackle the outbreak.

The funding will provide for the maintenance and running of a fleet of ambulances and burial vehicles.