Study finds Irish veterans face untreated PTSD, poverty and homelessness

New report highlights challenges facing 140,000 former Defence Forces members. File picture

A new study has found that many of Ireland’s estimated 140,000 former Defence Forces members are not receiving adequate support, with some living with untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while others face poverty, isolation and homelessness.

The study, carried out by Nexus Research Cooperative on behalf of veterans' charity Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann (ONE), states that Ireland is an “international outlier” when it comes to supporting former military personnel, particularly when compared with frameworks in Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Britain.

Those countries have dedicated veterans' legislation, a specific government body responsible for veterans' affairs that acts as a single point of contact for services, and State-funded research programmes.

The report, Veterans of the Defence Forces: A Study of the Profile and Needs of Irish Veterans, found that the Government's 2015 White Paper on Defence remains the sole policy reference point for veterans and that no official definition of a veteran exists in Irish law.

Among the report's key findings is what it describes as an invisible population. There are approximately 140,000 Defence Forces veterans in Ireland, yet the cohort is not counted in the national census or any official data source, hindering targeted policy development and resource allocation.

The research found that a significant minority of veterans are living with unaddressed service-related trauma, including PTSD, depression, moral injury and other complex mental health issues. The report states these challenges can contribute to substance misuse, family breakdown, financial instability and homelessness.

It also highlights that veterans seeking means-tested supports can find themselves disqualified because of pension entitlements, exacerbating financial hardship and housing difficulties.

Homelessness remains a severe manifestation of systemic failure for some veterans, the report states.

Veterans also reported a profound loss of identity and structure upon leaving the Defence Forces, compounded by what the report describes as a “language barrier” with civilian services that lack an understanding of military culture, often rendering support ineffective.

The report notes that the Office of Veterans Affairs (OVA), established in November 2025, represents a potential shift in State engagement but warns that it must become more than a symbolic gesture.

It calls for the OVA to be appropriately resourced, equipped with cross-government authority and informed by international best practice.

Among its recommendations are the development of a mechanism to calculate the precise number of living veterans, the creation of a national policy statement that includes a legal definition of a veteran, and the establishment of a National Council of Veteran Associations.

The report also seeks an independent evaluation of Defence Forces transition supports, the creation of a National Veteran Support Bureau in the repurposed GPO building in Dublin, and recognition of veterans as a distinct group within housing policy.

In addition, it sets out a five-year strategic framework for ONE encompassing advocacy, service development, research and evaluation, and integrated communications.

ONE chief executive Cormac Kirwan said the report provides evidence that has been lacking for many years.

“Ireland is an international outlier in its failure to legislate for, count, or properly support its veterans. The establishment of the OVA was a welcome first step, but it must be followed by some concrete action.

“Our message to government is clear: The State must assume its responsibility for those who have served. No Irish veteran should be left behind,” Mr Kirwan said.