Seanad debates
Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Defence Forces
1:00 pm
Tom Clonan (Independent)
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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.
Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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Before I call on the Minister of State, I welcome the visitors to the Gallery. They are a group of school principals who are visiting us from Hong Kong. I welcome them to Seanad Éireann. I hope their visit to the Houses of the Oireachtas, which is our Parliament, is informative and enjoyable and that they have a good and enjoyable visit to Ireland.
Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Clonan for raising this matter and welcome the opportunity to speak on it on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence. I listened carefully to everything the Senator said. Some of it was most interesting. The level of detail in the points he made is helpful to us.
Ireland has always been a strong supporter of the United Nations and peacekeeping. Our commitment and support for the primary role of the UN in the maintenance of international peace and security is expressed in Ireland's long-standing tradition of participating in UN peacekeeping operations. The Senator referred to this and said that up to 100 Irish soldiers have died while working on UN missions over the past 60 years or so. It is well known that Ireland is one of the most long-standing participants in UN peacekeeping. Not a single day has passed in the past 60 years where there has not been an Irish soldier working abroad on a UN peacekeeping mission. It is a tribute to our Defence Forces, not just now but also over the decades. Our commitment is also expressed in our engagement in the EU's common security and defence policy.
As of 5 April 2024 Ireland had 419 personnel deployed o different missions throughout the world. The main overseas mission in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed is the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL. Some 345 personnel are involved in that regard. Ireland also contributes observers and staff to various United Nations and OSCE missions and personnel to staff appointments at UN, EU, NATO-PfP and OSCE headquarters. I am informed the United Nations reimburses some personnel and contingent owned equipment costs in respect of member state contributions to UN-led operations. Rates of reimbursement, fixed in accordance with UN categories of equipment and personnel, are agreed in a memorandum of understanding between Ireland and the UN for each mission.
On death and disability, including PTSD claims, UN Resolution 51/218E of 17 June 1997 saw the UN General Assembly establish standardised rates for the payment of awards in cases of death and disability sustained by troops in the service of United Nations peacekeeping operations for incidents occurring after 30 June 1997. The subsequent UN General Assembly Resolution 52/177 of 18 December 1997, which was referred to by the Senator, essentially actioned the provisions of Resolution 51/218E as they related to administrative and payment procedures. UN Resolution 76/275, also referred to by the Senator, agreed on measures to expedite the process of claims for disability, including PTSD. It is important to note that, based on the information available to the Department of Defence, this scheme is not a mechanism for individuals to lodge claims with the UN. It is an arrangement of reimbursement to the State where claims for disability-PTSD have been awarded. On this basis, the question of making such schemes known to serving personnel, veterans and their families, or supporting them to avail of such schemes, does not arise.
In the case of death or disability, individual claims are made to the Defence Forces and the Department of Defence under the relevant military occupational injuries code. Other personal injuries claims made against the Minister for Defence, including PTSD, have been delegated to the State Claims Agency since 2011.
Tom Clonan (Independent)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Our concern is that there does not appear to be any record of Ireland availing of either of these funds. I accept that many cases are litigated here, but that places of veterans under a very stressful situation where they have to go into an adversarial process. In addition, the State has very deep pockets to fight people who have PTSD or who have lost function in other ways as a result of accidents. This is an opportunity for us to recognise fully the prevalence of combat stress reaction as a phenomenon in the workplace of Irish troops overseas and the ubiquity and commonplace nature of PTSD among troops. It would be really useful if we could facilitate a non-adversarial way of dealing with these through the Department of Defence. I might ask the Minister of State for a favour. I hope he will not take this the wrong way. I was hoping that the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence would be here because I know that veterans' groups, such as the one led by Sergeant Clarke, who has dedicated so much of his life to helping veterans and their families, would really like to have a meeting with him. I had hoped that, if he were taking this matter today, we might have been able to ambush him, to use that military term, outside the Chamber, but the Minister of State might prevail upon him the need to meet the veterans' groups, or me or Paul Clarke, to go through this. There is a pre-existing fund - I do not think it has been harnessed properly - that could give us a non-adversarial way of supporting families who deal with these issues, especially after their public service in the cause of peace.
Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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Before the Minister of State responds, I welcome Sergeant Paul Clarke to the Public Gallery. I hope he will get the desired result following Senator Clonan's Commencement matter.
Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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How could I refuse a request like that? I will speak to the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence about meeting the United Nations veterans. I do not think any of us does not know our local post and my one in Portlaoise is very active. The veterans turn out on occasion after occasion and are so proud of the service they have given abroad over the years. Many of them have done several tours, as we know.
On 3 April 2024, the UN provided a briefing to delegates of the permanent mission in New York on the UN reimbursement framework for member states. On foot of this, further information has been requested from the UN on the processes and criteria that currently apply to such schemes. The UN only makes payments based on available resources and these resources are dependent on the payments of contributions by member states. It is important we establish whether a claim has been lodged or what has been paid out.
On the issue relating to the State Claims Agency, which manages most claims against State agencies, it is important to take up the issue with the agency. The UN veterans or the Senator might make direct contact with it to find out how many cases are in the system. I would expect there are some in the system, and it is important to find out whether any of them has been cleared and the current status of any claims that have been lodged versus the Department of Defence, which is dealt with directly by the State Claims Agency.
Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State, and the Senator for raising that important issue.