I propose to take Questions Nos. 3, 31 and 34 together.
Shortly after the receipt of the Report of the Commission on Remuneration and Conditions of Service in the Defence Forces the Government decided to accept the recommendations relating to remuneration. The recommendations which have been or are being implemented are: new pay scales for line officers, special service officers and non-commissioned personnel; new rates of military service allowance; new rates of overseas allowance; new rates of prison allowance for security duty at Limerick and Portlaoise prisons; specialist pay for medical specialists; allowance for officers-in-charge of military hospitals; revised rates of flying pay for certain Air Corps personnel; revised allowance for foreign language proficiency; essential services allowance; explosive ordnance disposal duty allowance; new urban/rural rates of FCA allowance and new rates and revised arrangements for the payment of security duty allowance to officers.
The remainder of the recommendations in the report are acceptable in principle and I propose to proceed with their implementation subject, where appropriate, to consultation with the representative associations for military personnel which are at present being set up. These recommendations will be implemented as quickly as possible. The time frame for implementation will, of course, depend on the complexity of the individual items and on the consultative process with the representative associations.
The additional cost in 1991 resulting from the payment to members of the Permanent Defence Force of increases in pay and allowance will be in the region of £24 million and an appropriate provision will be made in the 1991 Estimates.