Conor Lenihan
Question:283 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Defence if he will consider awarding the widow of a person (details supplied) the pension entitlements of someone who had achieved the rank of colonel. [19957/03]
Written Answers. - Posthumous Promotion.
Conor Lenihan
Question:284 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Defence if action will be initiated to ensure that a person (details supplied) is accorded the posthumous rank of colonel in the Defence Forces to acknowledge the blameless role he played in relation to the arms trial and the controversies surrounding these events. [19958/03]
Conor Lenihan
Question:285 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Defence if he will meet with the family of a person (details supplied) with a view to discussing ways in which his Department can acknowledge in a fuller way the role that this person played within the Defence Forces at a very difficult time for the Defence Forces and specifically for Army intelligence. [19959/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 to 285, inclusive, together.
The Deputy may be aware that the Taoiseach issued a statement in relation to the individual in question following his recent death. I feel that there is no additional statement or commentary which requires to be entered, other than to tender again condolences to the family concerned. I understand that the Defence Forces were officially represented at the funeral of the individual in question and that the Defence Forces also provided a military bearer party, which rendered ceremonial honours at the funeral. The normal courtesies extended at the funerals of former members of the Defence Forces, where the family of the deceased requests military honours, were provided. These courtesy honours are a public acknowledgement by the Defence Forces of the service rendered to the State by the deceased as a member of the Defence Forces. I am satisfied in these circumstances that it would be inappropriate to meet the family concerned.
The individual concerned retired voluntarily in 1970. At the date of his retirement he held the commissioned rank of captain and he was paid a captain's pension for the past 33 years. There is no statutory provision under which a posthumous promotion of the nature suggested by the Deputy could be made. His widow has been granted a widow's pension under the Defence Forces pensions schemes at a rate appropriate to her late husband's retiring rank. There is no provision in those schemes under which a widow's pension could be related to a rank higher than the deceased's retiring rank.