Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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8. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will confirm if declaring asthma during childhood now rules out a person from acceptance to the Defence Forces; and if this is the case, to ask that this would be made explicit to applicants from the start. [52777/13]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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This question arises from a recent situation where a man approached one of my colleagues about the long application process one undertakes to be accepted into the Defence Forces, and rightly so, but at the very end of that process there is a medical form to be signed. He signed to confirm that as a child he had asthma and at the point he was ruled out. How does that come about and why does it emerge at the very end of the process?

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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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.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the confirmation that childhood asthma does not automatically rule an applicant out. Perhaps it might be in order for me to ask that this case be reviewed. I accept the criteria the Minister has laid out. Clearly, having criteria around an underlying medical condition in a profession that involves rigorous physical activity is logical. The second point is the process. This man passed everything else with flying colours but feels he was ruled out when he confirmed that he had had childhood asthma. That will be covered in any review of the case but maybe the process could be reviewed. If one has an underlying condition that rules one out there is no point going through everything else.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Merely stating on the form that one had childhood asthma should not exclude an individual from joining the Defence Forces. The provisions do not say that. There must be an individual medical assessment of how the applicant is at the time of the application, not what occurred simply during childhood. There may be more to the background of this matter than the Deputy or I are aware. Where an applicant to the PDF is found to be medically unfit the medical officer will normally advise as to the reason and I would be very surprised if the applicant was declared unfit because he had had childhood asthma. There must be more to that.

Regarding a review, an applicant who is found to be medically unfit and wishes to appeal is advised as to the appeal mechanism and any representations he or she wishes to make may be considered. If this applicant has not appealed, he should do so. The appeal mechanism consists of an independent medical examination by a medical board of the applicant and his or her clinical history. The medical board is specially convened for that purpose and comprises two medical officers unconnected with the original medical examination. The Deputy may wish to inquire whether this individual filed an appeal, followed that process, if not, why not, and whether he was informed. If an issue arises, the Deputy is very welcome to communicate with me privately about the matter and I will have it looked into.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Question No. 9 is in the name of Deputy Mac Lochlainn. He is lucky today; he should buy a lottery ticket.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Yesterday I was feeling hard done by in terms of questions.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Wednesday is a better day.