A former member of the Irish Air Corps who campaigns for personnel exposed to hazardous chemicals has raised concerns the issue will not be properly dealt with in a forthcoming tribunal of inquiry.
The premature deaths of Air Corps personnel are expected to feature in the inquiry pursued by the Women of Honour group who met Tánaiste Micheal Martin on Thursday to receive a new draft of the terms of reference.
However, Gavin Tobin, who has taken legal action against the State over the issue, said he had had sight of the draft terms and remains highly sceptical of the wording.
“They’re talking about investigating the complaints of hazardous chemicals, not investigating the hazardous chemicals [issue itself],” he said.
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‘I could have gone to California. At this rate, I probably would have raised about half a billion dollars’
“I have actually no trust, no faith that they are tying to do anything for the right reasons, that they’ve any honest motivation to do the right thing by personnel who were exposed to toxic chemicals.”
The terms have not yet been finalised but Mr Tobin said he would only be satisfied if they specifically set out an investigation into the harm caused by the chemicals to Air Corps personnel.
Mr Tobin was a whistleblower and has been keeping track of serious illnesses and premature deaths of former colleagues.
A spokeswoman for Women of Honour said on Thursday they were reviewing the revised terms but that they were happy the “conversation is continuing” and that nothing has been decided without them.
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