Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The day-to-day administration of recruitment to the Defence Forces is the responsibility of the Chief of Staff. I am advised by the military authorities that a declaration of asthma during childhood does not automatically rule out a person from acceptance to the Permanent Defence Force, PDF. An individual assessment of each case is made by the examining medical officer, taking into account the full history and examination. Working in the Defence Forces is a demanding career which places unique physical and psychological demands on individuals, exposing them to a unique range of challenging environments. In these circumstances it is vital that the health profile of personnel be such as to ensure that operational capability and effectiveness are not compromised.

There are a number of physical and medical standards laid down in the Defence Forces regulations and associated administrative instructions. These requirements are based on the professional advice of the medical corps and having regard to the nature of the job, the duties of military service and the training exercises undertaken by members of the Defence Forces. The director of the medical corps has advised that applicants who have chronic medical conditions are at a higher risk of suffering from symptoms related to those conditions due to the exigencies of military service. Entry criteria for enlistment to the PDF are, therefore, based on the selection of personnel who are not likely to require medical support and whose pre-existing medical status could not reasonably be foreseen to be subject to aggravation by service with the PDF. Each individual’s medical condition is examined taking into account a detailed, documented history of the condition and its extent, including remissions, exacerbations and any other associated conditions. In the specific context of a chronic medical condition such as asthma the sufferer is placed at a higher health risk.

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