12 hours ago
Law to change so father of peacekeeper killed in Lebanon can receive pension
The Government is set to change the law to facilitate the payment of a pension to an 84-year-old man whose son was killed while on peacekeeping duties with the Irish Defence Forces.
John McNeela - the father of Private Michael McNeela, who was shot dead by Israeli-backed militia in Lebanon in 1989, was told by the State that he was not entitled to keep an allowance which was granted to his wife Kathleen - who passed away last year.
The case was highlighted on RTÉ's This Week earlier this month, and raised in the Dáil by the Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú.
At the time Mr McNeela said he felt "very let down" by the decision of the State not to allow the pension to transfer to him.
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris said this was a "very hard case".
He described it as "mean spirited and unfair" and said he "found it wrong and it needs to be fixed."
He said that following a meeting with the Secretary General of his Department the Government had decided to change the law so that the pension allowance could be paid to Mr McNeela.
"It will require legislative change and that will take a bit of work" he said.
The Tánaiste said his officials are now looking to see if they could introduce the changes with the passing of a larger piece of defence legislation in the weeks ahead.
