Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2023
134. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department is aware of a former Irish Army soldier (details supplied) with fourteen years' service who has no Army medical records and has informed this Deputy that their medical records were destroyed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52007/23]
View answerI am advised that the Defence Forces, as a matter of policy, retain all medical record files. I can confirm that the medical record files of the former member referred to, are securely stored and have previously been provided to his civilian General Practitioner.
I understand the individual in question discharged from the Defence Forces in 1989 at their own request, having completed 12 years’ service. Since then, at his request, my Department has engaged on a number of issues. One such issue surrounds a search carried out to ascertain the whereabouts of a small number of documents from his medical records that were provided in relation to a hearing loss claim that is now concluded, namely;
• AF 14 (Medical Examination sheet) from 11th February 1977 and
• AF 332A (Report on medical examination of member prior to discharge) from 20th March 1989.
I understand that extensive searches were conducted for the documents sought by the former member.
Despite numerous searches, including liaison with the Office of the Chief State Solicitor, it has unfortunately, not been possible to locate these documents. The unsuccessful efforts to locate copies of these two medical documents have been explained in correspondence with the individual.
