Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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851. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the position regarding members of the Defence Forces who were injured seriously in the line of duty and have been accommodated with their employment, and in situations in which an arrangement has been put in place for lighter duties; the number of such instances in place in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11989/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Every member of the Defence Forces who has been injured, in the line of duty or otherwise, as well as any individual who suffers from an illness, disability, impairment or handicap, will be examined as part of the Military Medical Occupational Surveillance programme and will be assigned a specific medical classification code (MCC). The MCC takes account of the particular injury or disability and, depending on the circumstances, may be associated with operational restrictions. Such restrictions arise due to the individual's condition not allowing him or her to safely participate in the full range of duties, or because participation in the full range of military duties could aggravate his/her condition. Alternatively, the ultimate declaration is that the individual is below Defence Forces medical standards.

There is a mechanism that personnel in this category can, at the discretion of the Minister on the recommendation of the Deputy Chief of Staff (Support) remain on in service. This mechanism is invoked from time to time.

Provision is made, where personnel are employed in a capacity in which their disabilities do not interfere in the efficient performance of their duties, or leave them at risk of further injury, that they may be retained in service.

In such cases the Deputy Chief of Staff (Support) may, in the case of an officer, recommend to the Minister that such an officer not be retired or not be required to relinquish his or her commission immediately. In the case of an enlisted person, the Deputy Chief of Staff (Support) may order, that such an enlisted person not be discharged immediately.

In either case, the Minister for Defence or Deputy Chief of Staff (Support) as the case may be, may subsequently order that the officer or enlisted person be required to retire or relinquish his or her commission or be discharged because of such disability.  As the numbers of serving Defence Forces personnel involved are very small and in order to protect the privacy of personnel in question, I am advised by the military authorities that divulging any further details may identify individual cases.