Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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295. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if there are plans to establish an office and commissioner for the Defence Force veteran affairs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38439/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces contains many detailed recommendations, including a recommendation on the establishment of an Office of Veterans Affairs in the chapter on Defence Forces structures. The recommendations of the report, along with a High Level Action Plan detailing a proposed response to each, were recently presented to Government and agreed. The recommendation regarding an Office of Veterans Affairs has been accepted in principle, however further consideration is required in order to determine the optimal approach to meeting the Commission's recommendation.

In the meantime, my Department continues to engage on an ongoing basis with the two formally recognised Veterans Associations which represent all former personnel, namely Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann (ONE), the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel, and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA).