Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 667: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will award a 1916 heroic medal to the family of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33960/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The 1916 Medal was awarded only to persons who rendered active service during the 1916 Rising as members of a prescribed organisation such as Óglaigh na hÉireann, the Irish Volunteers, the Irish Citizen Army, Fianna Éireann, the Hibernian Rifles and Cumann na mBan.

The Deputy will appreciate that, with the passage of over 90 years since the 1916 Rising took place, it has become impossible at this remove in time to obtain adequate supporting evidence and verification of the membership, service and activities of individuals to establish entitlement to the award of the 1916 Medal.

The material supplied by the Deputy in the case in question has been considered in my Department but it is regretted that it does not provide a basis for awarding the 1916 Medal.