Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 10 May 1994

Vol. 442 No. 5

Written Answers. - Army Compensation Payment.

Michael Finucane

Question:

123 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Defence if a person who was serving with the Army abroad, suffered from a nervous breakdown and was discharged having not served the full three year contract period is entitled to compensation; and the Army's policy on cases of this nature.

Minister for Defence (Mr. Andrews)

Under the Army Pensions Acts, compensation by way of a disability pension may, regardless of the length of his-her service, be granted to a former member of the Permanent Defence Force in respect of permanent disablement due to——

(a) a wound or injury attributable to service, whether at home or abroad with a United Nations Force;

(b) a disease attributable to or aggravated by service abroad with a UN force.

Application for a pension must be made within a statutory time limit of 12 months after discharge in wound-injury cases and eight years in disease cases. The minimum level of disablement required to qualify for a pension is 20 per cent in wound-injury cases; 50 per cent in "wholly attributable" disease cases; and 80 per cent in "aggravated" disease cases. Discharge on medical grounds does not confer an automatic entitlement to a pension.

In addition to a disability pension,ex-gratia lump sum compensation may, subject to certain conditions, be granted in respect of disablement arising from service abroad with a UN force. If the Deputy provides details of the case he has in mind, I will have it considered.