asked the Minister for Defence if he will state if he is prepared to grant pensions or gratuities to the men in receipt of service medals; and, also, if he will issue medals to relatives of deceased men who took part in the 1916 Rebellion.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Issue of 1916 Medals.
It is not proposed to grant pensions or gratuities to persons in receipt of service medals apart from those persons eligible for pensions under relative Pensions Acts. As I have already stated in the House recently, however, I propose to introduce legislation to amend the Army Pensions Acts to provide special allowances for persons who have been granted service medals and who are incapable of self-support by reason of age or permanent infirmity of body or mind, so as to put them on a par with persons similarly circumstanced who had 1916 service and who have been awarded special allowances under the provisions of Section 7 of the Army Pensions Acts, 1943.
1916 medals in respect of deceased persons whose participation in the Rising has been established, have been issued to the next-of-kin where application has been made by such next-of-kin.