The priorities of the Air Corps Chemical Abuse Survivors are firstly to prevent further unnecessary loss of life amongst survivors and secondly to improve the quality of life of survivors by reducing unnecessary suffering. Both the Royal Australian Air Force & the Armed forces of the Netherlands have offered templates as to how to approach unfortunate workplace chemical exposure issues with competence, fairness, justice & urgency.
We urge that all responsible organisations in the state such as political parties, government departments and the Defence Forces to work together to commit the state to provide the following for survivors as an ex. gratia scheme with no admission of liability by the state.
Current & future legal cases should be allowed to take their natural course unhindered whilst all survivors are cared for equally by the state. WE ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT LOOKING FOR ANY INTERFERENCE IN COURT CASES.
- Non-means tested medical cards for every officer, enlisted rank, civilian or student (and their partner/spouse & offspring) who served in the Irish Air Corps any time up until the day the HSA closed their file in September 2018. We ask for families to be included because we unfortunately have mounting evidence of multi-generational harm.
- A state funded medical awareness, vigilance & screening program aimed at early detection of the serious “at risk” diseases for exposed serving & former personnel in Ireland & abroad.
- The provision of state funded counselling services to individuals & families affected by unprotected chemical exposure in the Irish Air Corps to include assistance for the management of anxiety / depression / chronic fatigue / sleep disturbance etc. and family breakdown resulting from above. WE MUST SAVE THE LIVES OF THE LIVING AND WE MUST EASE THEIR SUFFERING.
- An ongoing high level medical & scientific panel to include both medical & research experts in cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, haematology, immunology, microbiology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, pathology, psychiatry, pulmonary, rheumatology & urology to thoroughly investigate the biological mechanisms of injury with a view to proactively saving lives, reducing suffering and providing scientific & medical data of value in the wider public & private health systems. THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC HEALTH DIVIDEND FROM STUDYING THE ACCAS ILLNESS CLUSTER.
- A statutory investigation into the Health & Safety failures in the Irish Air Corps including an investigation into the role of the State Claims Agency’s failure to alert the HSA of “ongoing” failings when known and also to examine how the State Claims Agency could carry out Health & Safety Management System audits on the ground at Casement Aerodrome since 2006 and continue to allow serious Health & Safety failings to go unchecked. The investigation must have the legal power to compel witnesses & make findings. WE MUST HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY.
Exposed current & former personnel to include from the following categories
- Current military personnel
- Former military personnel
- Current civilian personnel
- Former civilian personnel
- Former civilian work experience students e.g. From the University of Limerick.
Updated 15/11/18