Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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144. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of former PDF members in receipt of disability allowance as a result of injury sustained from their time served with the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15964/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Under the Army Pensions Acts 1923-1980 a disability pension or gratuity may, following retirement, be granted to a former member of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) for permanent disablement due to a wound or injury attributable to military service (whether at home or abroad) or to a disease attributable to, or aggravated by, overseas service with a United Nations Force.  The criteria for awarding a disability pension or gratuity are based on:  

(a) whether the applicant is suffering from a permanent disablement due to wound/injury which is attributable to his/her military service at home or abroad, or to a disease attributable to or aggravated by service with a United Nations Force abroad; and 

(b) the percentage degree of disablement from which the applicant is suffering.

The award of a disability pension or gratuity depends on the findings of the Army Pensions Board, the independent statutory body appointed to adjudicate on applications, and on the provisions of the Acts. The rate of disability pension depends on the degree of disablement as assessed by that Board. 

There are currently 830 former members of the PDF in receipt of ongoing military disability pension payments from my Department in respect of qualifying disablements. 

In addition, 12 former PDF personnel were awarded a once-off disablement gratuity in 2017. The average number of such once-off gratuity payments for 2015-2017 was 13.