50% pension hike for War of Independence widows

The surviving spouses of War of Independence veterans received a 50% increase in their pensions from the State last year to commemorate the centenary of the Easter Rising.

The last surviving combatant of the war that took place between 1919 and 1921 died in 2006, but 66 widows were still in receipt of pensions in respect of their army service last year.

The average age of the surviving spouses is 92.