Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Defence Forces Support Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 February 2007

Thursday, 1 February 2007

Ceisteanna (62)

Seán Ryan

Ceist:

51 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the fact that former members of the Defence Forces are homeless or living in poor circumstances; if he will provide a support service to advise the hundreds of Defence Forces members who retire or resign each year of their entitlements and to assist them with reintegration into civilian life; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2813/07]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Defence Forces run regular pre-retirement courses in advance of retirement for personnel who are due to retire on normal age grounds. The courses are provided within five years of the due retirement date.

Permanent Defence Force personnel are briefed about the important life changes that result from reaching retirement age. They receive information about how others have dealt successfully with these life changes. This is intended to enable them to anticipate the changes in their own lives and to ease the transition to their new life. Both the PDF member and his/her spouse are encouraged to attend. They receive advice and guidance from leading experts on all aspects of retirement including:

Changes and relationships;

Financial matters;

Health;

Time management.

It is widely recognised that the programmes of development and training available in the Defence Forces are second to none. Nowadays military skills training encompasses a very broad range of well recognised courses of training such as communications technicians, qualifications in Information Technology etc, as well as the more traditional trades. Many military personnel, in all ranks, are increasingly educated to diploma and degree level or hold readily marketable trade qualifications. This training and the experience of military life provides excellent preparation for life/work after retirement or resignation from the Defence Forces for most personnel.

Of course, there are always some individual cases of persons who experience social difficulties after, or indeed during the course of, their military service. Such problems are sadly found across all sections of society and are not confined to the Defence Forces.

The Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women, or Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann Teoranta (ONET) has enjoyed the long-standing official recognition of the Department and the Defence Forces.

ONET is dedicated to looking after the welfare of all ex-service personnel of the Irish Defence Forces. A main objective of ONET is to ensure the welfare of ex-servicemen and women by way of providing accommodation to homeless members in need of such domestic accommodation and providing other assistance that may be required by way of advising referrals to the relevant agencies.

In October 2006, in recognition of the valuable work of ONET, I was pleased to support ONET in the form of a once off grant of €50,000 from my Department. I hope that this will go some way towards assisting ONET in its most valuable and worthwhile activities into the future.

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