Vol. 533 No. 5
76 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Defence the disability or disablement entitlements of permanent members of the Defence Forces who have to resign from the forces as they are suffering from depression; the way in which such entitlements can be pursued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9428/01]
The Army Pensions Acts provide that a disability pension may, following retirement, be granted to a former member of the Permanent Defence Force in respect of permanent disablement due to a wound or injury attributable to military service, whether at home or abroad, or to a disease attributable to or aggravated by overseas service with a United Nations force. Applications for a disability pension in respect of a wound or injury must be submitted to the pensions section, Department of Defence, Aras an tSaile, Renmore, Galway, within one year of discharge from the Permanent Defence Force and applications in respect of a disease must be made within eight years of discharge. An application for a disability pension in respect of depression could be considered if the condition was due to a wound or to overseas service.
Under the Defence Forces pension scheme, a soldier qualifies for a service pension payable immediately on discharge if he has at least 21 years' service. The minimum service requirement is 12 years if the soldier is discharged on medical grounds. Retired soldiers are also eligible for benefits such as disability benefit and invalidity pension under the Social Welfare Acts subject to the usual conditions.
