asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware of the discontent caused amongst ex-National Army men because of the alleged inadequate awards made to them for injuries received during their service; if he will state whether he proposes to establish an Appeal Board to which aggrieved persons may apply for reconsideration of their claims, and if so, whether it is intended to give representation to nominees of the injured persons on such Board.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ARMY APPEAL BOARD.
I am aware that some ex-Service men consider the awards made to them under the provisions of the Army Pensions Act, 1923, as inadequate. Such awards were, however, made in accordance with the terms of the Act, and were based on the degree of disablement from which each man was found on examination by a Medical Board to be suffering. Before an award is made the medical assessment is submitted to an independent specialist for review. Any claimant who so desires may appeal to such specialist. It is not, therefore, proposed to set up an Appeal Board as suggested by the Deputy.
Would the Minister not consider the advisability of allowing the aggrieved person to have some representative at the Committee or before the doctors in order to state his case?
No. The applicant can be medically examined, if he asks to have that done, and he can state his own case better than any advocate.
Is the Minister aware that in the days of the British War Pensions Committee, the aggrieved persons always had a local committee to appeal to, and they, very often, differed from the medical reports and secured justice for the applicants? Does the Minister not consider the same grievance might arise concerning men of the National Army?
I do not know what the practice was under the British regime. I have not examined it, and I do not propose to examine it.
It has been examined in a good many other cases.
Will the Minister look up the records of his predecessor and see whether he can confirm the implied promise that representation would be given to nominees of the aggrieved persons on the Appeal Board?
I do not know that my predecessor gave any such undertaking. I think an answer was given in reply to a question of your own. It was in connection with that matter.
Will the Minister read what the matter was? He has it before him.
"Mr. A. Byrne asked the Minister for Defence if he will see that a representative of the demobilised officers and men of the National Army is appointed to look after their interests on the Pensions Committee.
"The President: The Army Pensions Act, 1923, lays it down that pensions, etc., shall be granted by the Minister for Defence with the consent of the Minister for Finance. There is no provision for the existence of a Committee such as the Deputy has in mind. An Inter-Departmental Committee is, however, in being for advisory purposes, but it would not be proper for me to appoint thereon a person of the kind suggested by the Deputy.
"Mr. A. Byrne: Will the President make a recommendation to that Advisory Committee as to the desirability of carrying out the suggestion contained in that question? It has been done in England.
"The President: This is an Inter-Departmental Advisory Committee, and as such it has, to a certain extent, a responsibility for expending public funds. I do not know that I would be justified, when there is no provision in the Act, in making such a recommendation."
Does the Minister think that is the only reference his predecessor made to that question?
It is the only one I have at the moment.