asked the Minister for Defence if he will state with reference to the 972 Old IRA military service medallists to date whose medals have been deemed not to have been duly awarded, what proportion they represent of the number of veterans who have actually applied for special allowances or free travel etc.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old IRA Medal Holders.
101.
Since the introduction in June, 1957, of the revised pattern of investigation of entitlement to the service (1917-1921) medal, 16,110 persons have applied for special allowances under the Army Pensions Acts. Since the inception, following the 1968 Budget, of the free travel, etc., concessions scheme for veterans of the War of Independence, 9,853 persons have applied for the free travel concession and 7,230 persons have applied for the free electricity concession.
These figures are not mutually exclusive. As the records are maintained separately, it is not possible to say what the extent of overlapping may have been, or how many individuals are actually involved. A figure of 20,000 individuals would possibly be a reasonable assumption.
Would the Minister state whether it is possible that a person whose IRA medal was taken from him would be debarred from receiving any money from the Department? I have in mind the case of a man who was awarded the IRA service medal but the medal has been taken back from him. Could this occur?
Yes, in that the medal could be held not to have been duly awarded.
Why should it be taken from him?
I have dealt with this question a number of times in recent weeks by way of reply to Parliamentary Question. A number of medals were awarded in a way that is not now considered to have been satisfactory. Since 1957 a new system of examination of applications for the award of service medals has been adopted because the system up to then was found to have faults. When a person applies for a special allowance or for any other concession his whole case is re-examined.