Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I wish to raise the issue of UN General Assembly Resolution 52/177 - death and disability benefits, and UN General Assembly Resolution 76/275 - post-traumatic stress disorder framework. These two schemes already exist. According to our information, Irish families and veterans are unable to access or have not been assisted in accessing these two pre-existing funds.

When it comes to death and injury, just short of 100 Irish troops have died on overseas service or been killed in action dating right back to the Congo. This means that there are nearly 100 families nationwide who could benefit from this death-in-service fund administered by the UN. The relevant resolution concerning this fund was passed in 1997, but the compensation rate was recently increased to $77,000 for death in service or disability. This is a fund that Irish families and those veterans who have been injured in this way should be able to avail of.

The resolution on the post-traumatic stress disorder framework was passed in June 2022. Regarding post-traumatic stress disorder itself, I do not think Irish people fully appreciate the environment faced by our peacekeepers and our troops on peace enforcement missions led by NATO, the EU and UN. The international research and literature on post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, states that the key risk accelerators are when soldiers are in among the civilian population and witness the killing of civilians. This is something I and Sergeant Paul Clarke, my guest today, have seen at first-hand. It is one of the principal risk accelerators for developing PTSD. Other risk accelerators include being exposed to hostile fire, either direct or indirect, for prolonged periods and in an unexpected, sporadic and unanticipated way.

All these risk factors for PTSD recognised by international militaries describe and align perfectly with the service of Irish troops on missions all around the globe. What happens in these circumstances is that you are exposed to what is called a combat stress reaction, which is an organic, inevitable consequence of being exposed to risk and being unable to remove yourself from that environment. We have troops at present who are in a very hostile and volatile situation in south Lebanon. They will be there for six and a half months. British research shows that 20%, or one in five, of all troops in this environment will develop a combat stress reaction. The US military predicts that 30%, or one in three, of its troops will develop a combat stress reaction. The Israeli research, which is comprehensive, shows that 40% of troops will go on to develop a combat stress reaction.

Here is the thing in this regard. If this combat stress reaction is not treated, then the person will go on to develop PTSD. The physical symptoms include: hyperarousal, hypervigilance, headaches, back pain, shaking, tremors, sweating, nausea, abdominal distress, urinary incontinence, insomnia, nightmares and startle response. It alienates them from their families because they become emotionally withdrawn. The psychological symptoms are extremely profound and include anxiety attacks, depression, a heightened sense of threat, soldiers and veterans becoming angry and mistrustful, rigid, and controlling. This leads to relationship breakdown and, tragically, often alcohol and substance abuse. There is also a heightened rate of suicide.

We can do something for our veterans and their families. These funds are already in existence. From my veteran colleagues, I know the Norwegians have recently successfully got compensation for a family whose loved one was killed in the 1960s while on a UN peacekeeping mission. We should really be pointing families in this direction. The Department of Defence and the military authorities should be assisting them in availing of these funds. There is no budgetary implication or burden for the State here.