Vol. 478 No. 4
259 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Defence the issues, if any, which have been considered for compensation payments to existing and former Defence Force personnel; if so, the procedures, if any, being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11424/97]
Under the Army Pensions Acts a former member of the Permanent Defence Force may apply for compensation in respect of a wound or an injury received on duty or otherwise attributable to service either at home or abroad. Formal application must be made within one year after the date of discharge/retirement.
The minimum degree of disablement required to qualify for a pension is 20 per cent. A disablement gratuity may be granted where the degree of disablement is less than 20 per cent. Applications are assessed by the Army Pensions Board which is the statutory body established pursuant to section 5 of the Army Pensions Act, 1927. It consists of a chairman and two ordinary members. It assesses the degree of disablement and determines whether the disablement is attributable to military service.
