Vol. 409 No. 6
168 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East) asked the Minister for Defence the reason an Army disability pension has not been awarded to a person (details supplied) in Limerick in view of the fact that the medical evidence shows that the injuries which led to the person's disability arose during and from the conditions of his Army service.
Following his discharge from the Permanent Defence Force in 1987, the person concerned applied for a wound pension under the Army Pensions Acts in respect of an injury which he received while serving overseas with a United Nations Force. His application was referred to the Army Pensions Board, which are the statutory body appointed under those Acts to investigate and report on such applications. The board reported that, while the person was suffering from a disablement due to an injury attributable to his service, the degree of his disablement did not reach the required minimum of 20 per cent to qualify for a pension. He was, however, awarded a gratuity in respect of his disablement, payment of which was made to him in April 1988.
In September 1989, this person made a further application for a disability pension in respect of a number of medical conditions which he attributed to his overseas service with a United Nations Force. However, the Army Pensions Board reported that none of the conditions was so attributable. Consequently, he is not eligible for the award of a disability pension.
If he is in a position to furnish new evidence which would help to establish a connection between his medical state and his overseas service, I will have his case reconsidered.
