Tag: Public Accounts Committee

McEntee “should apologise” for remarks she made in the Dáil!

Air Corps toxic exposure survivors say they are “disgusted” by what the Defence Minister said.

Survivors of toxic poisoning in the Air Corps have demanded Helen McEntee apologise for remarks she made in the Dáil.

They have accused her of “belittling” suffering they have endured after being exposed to toxic chemicals without adequate PPE since the 1970s.

Air Corps Chemical Abuse Survivors campaign group spokesperson and former Air Corps technician Gavin Tobin said: “Her remarks were offensive and she should apologise.”

The defence minister was asked by Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire on Thursday, May 7 to consider the way the Australian government supported its air crews exposed to toxic chemicals.

More than 400 Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) maintenance crew members who contracted any one of 31 prescribed illnesses – including cancer – while working for the air force were given compensation and ongoing screening and healthcare.

Almost all of the Air Corps maintenance workers in Ireland who have either died or fallen ill since 1980 have suffered or are still suffering the same illness on that prescribed illnesses list.

The comparison between the Irish Air Corps and RAAF was first brought up by Micheal Martin in the Dáil in February 2017.

Then, as leader of the opposition, he demanded the government commission an independent health outcome study of aircraft maintenance personnel “similar to that carried out by the Australian Government”.

This audit examined systems in each Defence Forces formation – including the Air Corps, which has around 30 outstanding damages claims against it from former personnel.

Read full article by Neil Michael below…

https://reporterneilmichael.substack.com/p/mcentee-should-apologise-for-remarks

State Claims Agency to be asked by the Public Accounts Committee about performance-related payments to staff involved in risk, health and safety-related audit work.

The agency is to be asked a series of simple “yes or no” questions.

State Claims Agency bosses are to be grilled about what performance-related payments were paid to staff involved in safety-related audits in the air corps.

They have been summoned to appear before the Public Accounts Committee to explain how the payments were justified.

According to the ​National Treasury Management Agency’s latest annual report for 2024 “discretionary performance-related payments reward exceptional performance”.

The NTMA​, ​which operates as the State Claims Agency​ in its management ​of personal​ injury and third-party property​ damage claims against the State​ and State authorities​, made performance-related payments to 271 employees in 2025 with respect to 2024.

These payments totalled €2,584,729, with the highest individual payment was €30,000 and the lowest individual payment was €1,000.

But millions in performance-related payments have been made to State Claims Agency (SCA) staff over the past two decades.

The Oireachtas committee hearing, which follows a request from Sinn Fein TD Aengus O Snodaigh, is due to take place next month.

This is in light of allegations against the air corps over health and safety breaches since 2006.

This is when SCA auditors first carried out what was described at the time as “a comprehensive audit of the Defence Forces Health and Safety Management systems”.

This audit examined systems in each Defence Forces formation – including the Air Corps, which has around 30 outstanding damages claims against it from former personnel.

Read full article by Neil Michael below…

https://reporterneilmichael.substack.com/p/state-claims-agency-to-be-asked-by