asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that a person (name supplied) is now totally disabled owing to service; that his disability and service pension is insufficient to maintain him; that he has no alternative except the County Home; and that there are a few men in every Brigade area with both pre-Truce and post-Truce service in the Defence Forces and Executive Forces in the same position; if he will now consider the advisability and the justice of making provision for them; and whether the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham could be converted into a hospital or home for those who served the country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disabled Members of Defence Forces.
17.
I am not aware that the person referred to is totally disabled owing to service. His application for a disability pension under the Army Pensions Act, 1927, was rejected in 1928 because the disability in respect of which he claimed was not attributable to service and the Military Service Registration Board found, in connection with his application for a wound pension under the Army Pensions Act, 1932, that he did not receive any wound or injury while engaged in military service.
He is in receipt of a pension at the rate of £107 15. 11. per annum under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1924, and he has, since 5th May, 1953, been in receipt of a special allowance under the Army Pensions Acts which is currently payable at the rate of £87. 0. 0. per annum. He is 66 years old, unmarried and he lives with his brother to whom a special allowance under the Army Pensions Acts is payable at the rate of £74 0. 0. per annum and who is, in addition, in receipt of a pension under the Old Age Pensions Acts at the rate of 44s. per week. The income of the household from public funds is, therefore, more than £383 per annum and this will be subject to an increase in accordance with this year's Budget provisions for increases in pensions. If the person to whom the question relates, and others similarly circumstanced, are in need of medical attention, such attention is of course available to them under the provisions of the Health Acts and it is not proposed to convert the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, into a hospital or home for such cases.