Soldiers took an average of 13 sick days last year – more than three times the private-sector average. The news comes as defence minister Willie O'Dea admitted there is a major shortage of doctors in the medical corps.

Last year, members of the Defence Forces took 135,000 sick days, which works out at 12.99 days per soldier. Speaking in the Dáil last week, O'Dea admitted there was "room for improvement" in relation to absenteeism within the Defence Forces.

The average private-sector employee misses three-and-a-half days a year for certified and uncertified sick leave.

Fine Gael spokesperson for defence Jimmy Deenihan said the high level of absenteeism "looks bad for the army and the Defence Forces" and added that soldiers sometimes waited months to be seen by a doctor.

"A soldier on sick leave may have to wait for weeks, or months in some cases, before he or she can access the medical board to certify fitness to return to service. This is a major issue," he said. "It is unfair that those people who want to return to work cannot, in many cases, get treatment or clearance from the medical board."

O'Dea insisted "any soldier who needs primary care will get it" but admitted attempts to recruit more doctors into the Defence Forces have been "disappointing".

"Improvements in the
provision of medical services will contribute to ensuring that absences due to sickness in the Defence Forces are kept to a minimum.

"I assure the House that Defence Forces personnel requiring medical treatment are getting the care they need," he added.

"Even though we do not have sufficient doctors in
the army there is a very
good arrangement between the army and civilian
doctors who provide their services."