Tag: Simon Coveney

Air Corps controversy: Minister says reports on toxicity at Baldonnel “can’t be found”

At least six people are taking action against the State for alleged exposure to chemicals whilst in the Air Corps.

Reports detailing the levels of toxicity in the air at Baldonnel Airfield have disappeared, The Journal.ie can reveal.

A letter seen by this publication, which was sent to a TD, says two reports into the measurement of potentially dangerous levels of carbon monoxide and other airborne toxins cannot be located by the Defence Forces.

The letter from Paul Kehoe, Minister of State with responsibility for Defence, reads:

“I have now been advised by the military that there was a report on measuring CO (Carbon Monoxide) fumes from aircraft compiled by Forbairt [which later became Enterprise Ireland] in 1995 and a further report on monitoring air contaminants in workshops in 1997 which was also compiled by Forbairt.

“In addition, an internal report was compiled by the Air Corps in 2014 in relation to a litigation case and in 2017, an occupational air survey was carried out by an independent environmental services company.

“Unfortunately, following an extensive search and their having consulted with Enterprise Ireland (which superseded Forbairt), I am advised by the military authorities that it has not been possible to locate the earlier Forbairt reports.”

Read more on The Journal website here.

Air Corps whistleblower meets minister over claims

Junior Defence Minister Paul Kehoe has met an Air Corps whistle-blower and saw copies of inspection reports that have raised concerns about conditions in Casement Aerodrome dating back to the 1990s.

Click on above photo to learn about the chemicals therein

The Irish Examiner understands one of four Air Corps whistle-blowers met with Mr Kehoe last week, and showed him copies of documents that have prompted allegations in the Dáil of a ‘cover up’ in the force.

This newspaper revealed yesterday that the Department of Defence refused a Freedom of Information request from the Irish Examiner for the release of the reports on the grounds that it “cannot locate” the documents sought.

Opposition TDs, who also saw the documents, say they raised concerns about Air Corps members’ exposure to toxic chemicals over 20 years ago. The State is defending High Court cases taken by former Air Corps staff who say that they suffer chronic illnesses as a result of working conditions in Casement Aerodrome.

Last October, the Health and Safety Authority threatened the Air Corps with legal action unless it addressed shortcomings that the HSA had identified.

Whistle blowers had previously warned the Government of the dangers. Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh previously told the Dáil that the reports have been covered-up because of the failure of the Defence Forces to implement the changes that were recommended.

Yesterday he said that both Mr Kehoe and the Department of Defence need to explain why the documents cannot be located.

Read more on the Irish Examiner website.

Casement Aerodrome technical reports “cannot be located”

The Department of Defence said it cannot locate copies of technical reports from the 1990s which raise concerns about health and safety conditions at the Air Corps headquarters in Casement Aerodrome.

It comes after opposition TDs made claims of a “cover-up” and suggested the files may have been destroyed.

The Irish Examiner, in January last, revealed the State is being sued by six former Air Corps staff who claim their chronic illnesses were caused by exposure to toxic chemicals while working at Casement Aerodrome.

We also reported how, last October, the Health and Safety Authority issued a warning to the Air Corps over its management of staff exposure and wellbeing, following protected disclosures from three whistleblowers.

Sinn Féin defence spokesman Aengus Ó Snodaigh told the Dáil, in February, he had “seen health and safety reports going back as far as 1995, all of which pointed specifically to the issues that were addressed in the Examiner newspaper”.

“So this is not a new issue,” he stated at the time.

“This is a cover-up because the military authorities in Casement Aerodrome did not take the required steps; when it was highlighted to them that dangerous chemicals existed, they didn’t take those steps.”

Read more on the Irish Examiner website here.

Two men suing State over Air Corps chemical exposure say they have contracted cancer

Two of the men who are trying to take cases against the Air Corps over claims they were exposed to dangerous chemicals at Baldonnel Airfield say they have contracted cancer since starting the litigation.

The men, who have been attempting to have their case heard since 2013, are just two of six people who have cases which are currently at the ‘discovery’ phase.

One of the men was diagnosed with skin cancer last week. He says he has it in three places on his body – his head, arms and leg.

The other man says he was diagnosed with renal cancer in 2015. A tumour was discovered on his kidney after several visits to his doctor.

The men have maintained that their exposure to a number of chemicals at Baldonnel Airfield has led to them suffering from serious illnesses.

Read more on The Journal website here.

Watch Primetime on Tuesday 16th May where RTE will ask Minister Kehoe no hard questions about Air Corps Toxic Chemical Scandal.

Watch RTE Prime Time tomorrow featuring Minister Paul Kehoe and Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett.

RTE will NOT be asking any hard questions about large numbers of poisoned Air Corps personnel at both Casement & Gormanston Aerodromes nor will they discuss the high number of deaths & mutagenic diseases amongst the children of serving and Air Corps personnel.

RTE would not engage with ACCAS for this program.

Dáil Éireann Written Answers 04/04/17 – Department of Defence – Airfield Harvesting

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

698. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the Air Corps at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel receives moneys from the annual harvesting of silage on the airbase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16654/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I have been advised by the Military Authorities that the Air Corps operate a ‘safe grass’ policy in order to reduce the hazards posed on the airfield in Baldonnel by bird populations. This policy is an integral part of the wider bird control management program, which is line with best international practices and seeks to reduce the risk of bird strikes during critical phases of flight.

The airfield at Baldonnel is cultivated with FESCUE grass which was specifically sown and grown to prevent birds landing and nesting in the grass and thereby being a hazard to the aircraft. A contractor is hired to top the grass at a height of 9 inches throughout the growing season. The clippings are returned. The frequent topping of the grass and the return of clippings are required to produce an appropriate level of soil fertility to support adequate grass growth. The crop type does not have the nutrient needs for grazed cattle silage and the clippings are required to maintain nutrient levels in the soil.

Accordingly, the Air Corps receive no funding from the annual harvesting of silage on the airbase. As there is no harvesting of silage, the issue of income from harvesting does not arise.

Minister Paul Kehoe T.D. again misrepresents the truth. Is Minister Kehoe misleading in his answers to parliamentary questions or are the Irish Army Air Corps misleading the Minister? Someone is giving misleading answers that is for sure.

Photos below taken in the past week and posted on an Air Corps related Facebook page.

This last photo taken 13th May 2017

Dáil Éireann Written Answers 04/04/17 – Department of Defence – Air Corps Equipment

Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

688. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the detail of the 2017 opening stock figure, current stock figure, cumulative new stock figure to date in 2017 and cumulative issued stock figure in 2017 for chemical hazard PPE respirators for technical personnel at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel; and if he will exclude military grade respirators used for military training purposes. [16143/17]

689. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the detail of the 2016 opening stock figure, closing stock figure, cumulative new stock figure and cumulative issued stock figure for disposable coveralls at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel. [16144/17]

691. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the testing and selection criteria for disposable overalls in use by the Air Corps to insure they offer personnel adequate protection from the toxic chemicals in use. [16146/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 688, 689 and 691 together.

Unfortunately, it has not been possible to compile the information requested in the time available. My officials are working with the military authorities to obtain the information which will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Again Minister Paul Kehoe T.D. demonstrates that he is incapable of supplying simple answers to basic questions about the Irish Army Air Corps.  The answers to questions 688 & 689 are available at the touch of a button from the AMMS computer system.

It appears that either the Minister for Defence, the Department of Defence or the Defence Forces may have something to hide.

Mechanism of injury for Autoimmune based illness in Irish Air Corps

We believe we have evidence to suspect that many of the illnesses are symptoms of an auto-immune disorder that has been triggered by unprotected over exposure to Jet A1, Jet Exhaust, Isocyanates & Trichloretheylene. These chemicals are know to cause immune system sensitisation to an extent that subsequent exposures to minute quantities can trigger a disproportionate immune response.

Thus we now believe the very common illnesses such as Anxiety / Brain Fog / Breathing Difficulties / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Concentration Difficulties / Depression / Headaches / Idiopathic Pain / Insomnia / Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Osteopenia & also “inconsistent” food intolerance issues all appear to be linked and are merely symptoms.

We are in the process of establishing contact with appropriate members of the medical & scientific community to investigate this further. Also the list of sensitising chemicals will likely increase, given the sheer numbers of toxic chemicals in use in the Irish Army Air Corps, once we have had time to investigate them all.

Any personnel suffering from above please make contact via our Facebook page as we may have some simple remedies that may offer some respite and also some information for your GP.

Illnesses suffered by just a single person from Irish Air Corps

Below is my list of illness since 2000. Some of which were diagnosed then subsequently deemed a misdiagnosis which was then referred to as part of a combination of conditions related auto immune system disease.

I have been told I have never been text book in my symptoms for these various conditions but have shown some or all symptoms at various stages in the past 17 years which can flare up at any stage.

I have also failed on all current immunosuppressive drugs except for the latest injection I am receiving but only time will tell if this will last

Yours sincerely

 Former member of No3 Support Wing

Prior to joining the Irish Army Air Corps this person was an accomplished athlete and represented the Defence Forces and his unit at many running competitions. The above illnesses started to occur approximately 1 year after joining Heli Wing.

Furthermore and as has happened in other cases this person was treated as a malingerer and actively haunted by Air Corps management until he went on his ticket. Essentially he was constructively dismissed by the Irish Army Air Corps after they had made him seriously ill.

‘In one case, a retired member’s wife had eight miscarriages in succession’ Irish Army Air Corps Toxic Chemical Scandal

A DEFENCE FORCES whistle-blower has made a protected disclosure alleging that a number of children of Air Corps workers have died as a result of being exposed to toxic chemicals at Baldonnel Airfield.

In a document seen by this publication, a Defence Forces whistle-blower has said that he has uncovered “the untimely deaths of at least 20 adults…of which I believe died of illness related to unprotected chemical exposure”.

The protected disclosure details the rank and specific illness of each of those who have passed away. We are not publishing these details as to do so would breach data protection rules.

There are also claims that the partners of male members of the force suffered serious fertility issues and a number of miscarriages. Other children, according to the protected disclosure, are living with life-changing illnesses.

Read more on The Journal website here.