Written answers

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Photo of Louis O'HaraLouis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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177. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the way in which a person can apply for a posthumous medal for a family member who was a member of the Irish Volunteers and Irish Republican Army; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32000/25]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government decided in January 1941 that two Medals should be struck in respect of service during the 1916-1921 period, one for service during Easter Week 1916 and the second for subsequent service up to the Truce of the 11th July 1921. In May 1942 the Government further decided that the second Medal, the Service (1917-1921) Medal, should be issued as follows:

  • Medal with Bar to persons who are in possession of a military service certificate entitling them to a pension under the Military Service Pensions Acts in respect of the period subsequent to 1916 and prior to 11 July 1921 and to those persons not in possession of a certificate who satisfy the Minister for Defence that had they applied for a pension, their service was such as would have merited the award of a pension;
  • Medal without Bar to persons who were enrolled in the Irish Republican Army, Fíanna Éireann, Cumann na mBan and the Irish Citizen Army not less than three months prior to 11 July 1921, but who did not qualify for a pension.
In certain exceptional situations a medal can be posthumously awarded if no medal was previously issued. However, in order not to diminish the intrinsic value of such medals, this is only done in exceptional cases and only where there is incontrovertible verified evidence available that the criteria for the award of a medal have been met. Given the lapse of time and the lack of verification process at this stage it is very difficult to satisfy the requirements and therefore the award of such posthumous medals is rare.

It was decided in 2006 that, where 1916 and War of Independence medals had been lost, stolen or destroyed, official certificates, in either Irish, English or both, could issue to an applicant.

Enquiries and requests for application forms should be addressed to Pensions Administration Section, Finance Branch, Department of Defence, Áras an tSáile, Renmore, Galway, H91 AN2E or by email to pensions.admin@defence.ie.

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