‘Asbestosis is like a death sentence hanging over you’

Jim Halligan was diagnosed with asbestosis 19 years ago. “It’s like living with a death sentence hanging over you,” he says. “If you get it, you have it for the rest of your life.”

As recently as October 2012, Jim had part of his right lung removed due to cancer he believes is also directly linked to asbestos exposure. It was his second lung operation.

He has suffered pneumonia in his left lung, uses three inhalers daily, a nebuliser on bad days, and gets at least five chest infections a year.

And he can’t walk up hills, which doesn’t help if you live in Cobh, Co Cork.

Jim acquired the potentially fatal condition after cutting up asbestos on a former Naval Service ship, LÉ Deirdre, decommissioned in 2001.

Although he carried out the work in the early 1980s, it wasn’t until 1995 that doctors diagnosed asbestosis after he suffered a continuous bout of chest infections.

The Department of Defence later made an out-of-court settlement with him. But the State now potentially faces more claims after nearly 40 men were recently exposed to asbestos on LÉ Ciara.

Mr Halligan was a petty officer during his service in the navy from 1982 to 1997, but it was shortly into his career that the damage was done. “In the early 1980s we were doing a refit on the LÉ Deirdre,” says Jim.

“Panels on the bulk-heads had to be replaced. There was no way to take them out without cutting them up first. At the time, we thought it was asbestos but had been told it was cape marine board.”

Unfortunately for the now 66-year-old, their suspicions had been spot on, although he bears no grudges as he believes a genuine mistake had been made.

He says others who were exposed on LÉ Deirdre’s refit also developed asbestosis.

At his house overlooking Cork Harbour, Jim spoke of his concerns for the men who have an agonising wait to see if they have developed the potentially fatal condition due to their exposure on LÉ Ciara.

“Of course my thoughts are with them,” he says. “It’s like a death sentence hanging over you. If you get it, you have it for the rest of your life. I constantly get knocked back with chest infections. If I get any type of cold, it goes straight to my chest.

“I haven’t smoked in 30 years. If I’m standing near somebody who is smoking it could bring on a chest infection.”

He says the men exposed to the asbestos need ongoing treatment, especially as it could take many years for asbestosis to really take hold.

“I think their medical care has to be an absolute priority and it has to be ongoing for as long as necessary,” says Jim.

A founding member of PDForra, the representative body for rank-and-file members of the Defence Forces, Jim is seeking legal advice on behalf of seven Naval Service members who were exposed to asbestos dust on LÉ Ciara. It is believed that 30 civilian workers were also exposed.

Similar to the present cases. he was not wearing protective clothing when the exposure occurred. “They’d naturally be worried that they could also have brought the dust back home to their families on their clothes. I was worried about that too but thankfully my wife, two grown-up sons and daughter are all fit and healthy,” he added.