Irish Defence Forces & Diabetes

Luxy

Does anyone know what the policy of the Irish Defence Forces is with regard to enlisting people with Diabetes? My cousin, who's dream is has been since he was a child, was just diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, are his chances of joining completely gone?

Do the Irish Defence Forces & the FCA have the same policy with regard to this?

OS119

its very unlikely, he wouldn't be able to join the BA with diabetes and the Irish Army has a history of being more fussy about existing medical conditions than the BA.

in addition, the IA is always over-subscribed with quality applicants, so even if they were, in principle, prepared to accept a candidate with Diabetes, its astonishingly unlikely that they'd pick a Diabetic candidate over a non-Diabetic candidate.

sorry.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Since an applicant is tested for diabetes, and serving personal are medically downgraded once diagnosed with the condition I very much doubt the chap will get through the medical.

Luxy

That's what I figured. I don't think he knows yet, but he'll be absolutely gutted when he finds out. He had his whole life & career planned out. He's still in school & he intended to join for a good few years before going to college. He'll have to change his plans drastically now.

I know this might sound a bit dramatic, but could the army's treatment of diabetics not be viewed as discrimination based on disability? I understand why it's their policy, but if a person has their condition entirely under control, in such a way that it could not have an effect on their performance, surely they should at least be given the opportunity.

cushtac

Luxy wrote: »

I know this might sound a bit dramatic, but could the army's treatment of diabetics not be viewed as discrimination based on disability? I understand why it's their policy, but if a person has their condition entirely under control, in such a way that it could not have an effect on their performance, surely they should at least be given the opportunity.

This has been tried before by people with other conditions and it was rejected.

PeterIanStaker

Mustafa Wet Juice wrote: »

Since an applicant is tested for diabetes, and serving personal are medically downgraded once diagnosed with the condition I very much doubt the chap will get through the medical.

If you're serving and are diagnosed with it, are you on your ticket?

Luxy

cushtac wrote: »

This has been tried before by people with other conditions and it was rejected.

Oh really? That's a pity. I guess he'll just have to deal with it. It is unfair though.

OS119

Luxy wrote: »

Oh really? That's a pity. I guess he'll just have to deal with it. It is unfair though.

its hard, but its not unfair.

Diabetes is controllable within a controlled situation, and normal barrack life is a controlled environment - there won't be a problem accessing the right foods at the right time, and the immediate medical help he might require would be available should something go wrong. however, were your nephew to be sent to a remote patrol base in wherethefcukistan or the kleptocratic republic of bongo-bongoland where the only food, water and medicine has to come in by helicopter, and you get to eat what turns up and if you don't like it you'll go hungry for a week, then its very much less of a controllable condition. the logistics chain supplying that patrol base - which might not even be done of Irish forces - would be very unlikely to a able to keep up with the dietry requirements of each individiual soldier in each location.

no individual is so good as to be sufficiently indispensable that their requirements could be allowed to put extra strain on a logistics chain that would be under enormous pressure just to get the most basic items - food, water, ammunition - to all the locations its serves.

if you can't deploy, you aren't any use. its a pity, but thats the reality.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Sorry Luxy,

Im just confirming what everyone has already said.

Theres no chance of your nephew getting in with Diabetes.

I was training troops there a few years ago, there was this one guy who turned out to be a Coeliac, he was about 3 weeks in and he was out the gate by the end of the week 4.

The DF cannot cater for individuals, (unfortunately)

arybvtcw0eolkf

PeterIanStaker wrote: »

If you're serving and are diagnosed with it, are you on your ticket?

I'm not sure about the situation re. recruits but I'd imagination they'd be shown the gate PDQ.

For a serving soldier, honestly with the 'new' contracts and the pressure to get rid of people I'm not entirely sure. If I was ona new contract I wouldn't find my situation too comfortable at all.

For those on the old contracts, well your just medically downgraded - so no oversea's, maybe no promotion & other career courses.

Irish_Army01

Mustafa Wet Juice wrote: »

I'm not sure about the situation re. recruits but I'd imagination they'd be shown the gate PDQ.

For a serving soldier, honestly with the 'new' contracts and the pressure to get rid of people I'm not entirely sure. If I was ona new contract I wouldn't find my situation too comfortable at all.

For those on the old contracts, well your just medically downgraded - so no oversea's, maybe no promotion & other career courses.

I know a Sgt who was diagnosed before he was promoted to Sgt.. He is still in.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Irish_Army01 wrote: »

I know a Sgt who was diagnosed before he was promoted to Sgt.. He is still in.

Great, isn't he lucky to have a job

PeterIanStaker

Mustafa Wet Juice wrote: »

I'm not sure about the situation re. recruits but I'd imagination they'd be shown the gate PDQ.

For a serving soldier, honestly with the 'new' contracts and the pressure to get rid of people I'm not entirely sure. If I was ona new contract I wouldn't find my situation too comfortable at all.

For those on the old contracts, well your just medically downgraded - so no oversea's, maybe no promotion & other career courses.

Just wondering, as people can develop it in their 30's - 40's, a guy I know (who is not in the DF) was diagnosed Type 1 when he was 19, now he could have had it for years I suppose, but what Im trying to say is that it can onset at any stage in life.

odin_ie

Irish_Army01 wrote: »

I know a Sgt who was diagnosed before he was promoted to Sgt.. He is still in.

If it is the same person I know of, he has been over seas since being diagnosed too.

I also know a few asthmatics who got in, and are serving NCOs, even one or two are officers. AFAIR there is nothing that strictly says that diabetics are not allowed in,

Cadet Booklet 2009 wrote:

Paragraph 3.

Candidates must be in good mental and bodily health and free from any physical defect, abnormality, physiological condition or past history of serious illness likely to interfere with the efficient performance of his/her duties.

By that paragraph, it is to the discretion of the Medical Officer to sign off on the applicant, but a MO is not going to put their name to somebody where there is a chance that there will be a complication, just in case something goes wrong.

Darksaga87

If you have diabeties you are unable to give blood, therefor you wont be going overseas.

My dad was diagnosed with it years ago and was unable to serve overseas after '97.

Beano

Darksaga87 wrote: »

If you have diabeties you are unable to give blood, therefor you wont be going overseas.

My dad was diagnosed with it years ago and was unable to serve overseas after '97.

this isnt true. Diabetics can donate blood.

Darksaga87

Beano wrote: »

this isnt true. Diabetics can donate blood.

He couldnt, the army wouldnt take it.
Plus his medical graed ment he couldnt serve overseas.

PeterIanStaker

http://www.giveblood.ie/Become_a_Donor/Give_Blood/Can_I_Give_Blood/success.html

Doesn't seem to say there if diabetics can, or cannot, give blood. I'll ask them next time I'm giving blood myself.

Donny5

PeterIanStaker wrote: »

http://www.giveblood.ie/Become_a_Donor/Give_Blood/Can_I_Give_Blood/success.html

Doesn't seem to say there if diabetics can, or cannot, give blood. I'll ask them next time I'm giving blood myself.

IBTS wrote:

Unfortunately, you are unable to give blood if you are taking medication for some conditions such as for a heart condition or diabetes.

Seems it's the meds, not the condition that would stop you donating.

Beano

Donny5 wrote: »

Seems it's the meds, not the condition that would stop you donating.

I stand corrected.

Darksaga87

Beano wrote: »

I stand corrected.

PeterIanStaker

Beano wrote: »

I stand corrected.

As do I.