'We have to identify if there is a pattern' in 130 Air Corps deaths to do with toxic chemicals, minister says

The Air Corps Chemical Abuse Survivors (ACCAS) group has repeatedly flagged trends in premature deaths among those who worked at the Casement Aerodrome, in Baldonnel, Co Dublin, since 1980.

Defence minister Helen McEntee has admitted the Government needs to identify whether there is a pattern in the “potential” 130 deaths of former and serving Air Corps personnel after being exposed to toxic chemicals.

Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire reminded her in a Dáil session of questions on defence on Thursday that she had promised to look at proposals for the introduction of health support for sick Air Corps veterans.

She has previously said she has been briefed by her officials on health and safety in the Air Corps as well as information regarding mortality rates of serving or former members. A report about what has previously been described as “detailed” research was due to be presented to the minister at the end of March.

It is not clear if any of that documentation involves research already conducted by the Air Corps Chemical Abuse Survivors (ACCAS) group which has repeatedly flagged trends in premature deaths among those who worked at the Casement Aerodrome, in Baldonnel, Co Dublin, since 1980.

The Irish Examiner first revealed disclosures from a number of Air Corps whistleblowers, including ACCAS CEO Gavin Tobin, in 2007.

The coverage was then taken up in the Dáil by Micheál Martin, when he was the opposition leader, and he described the issues raised as a “national disgrace”.

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Mr Ó Laoghaire told Ms McEntee: “There have been really disturbing and worrying disclosures and descriptions of what was going on.

“It's very clear Air Corps personnel were exposed to unsafe working conditions, exposed to dangerous chemicals, and there does seem to be a very strong correlation to very serious illness and bad health outcomes.

“Minister, what do you intend to do about it and how do you intend to ensure that they're looked after?”

The minister said that because there were cases before the courts, she had to be very careful about what she could and couldn’t say. However, she admitted there had been health and safety failings in the Air Corps.

She said: “I'm not disputing the fact people have had health concerns. There's never been a dispute that there needed to be better measures in place in terms of health and safety."

Mr Ó Laoghaire described her reference to restrictions on what she can say or do due to Air Corps personnel suing the State as “frustrating”.

He told her: “I've never tried to discuss individual cases in this chamber with you or your predecessor.

“The issue here is in relation to a whole category of people who were acting in the service of state.

You have potentially 130 premature deaths. 

"What I'm asking for is what you propose to do in terms of health support, including forms of screening."

She said in reply she understood “we have to identify whether or not there is a consistent pattern here” in terms of premature deaths among former personnel.