Vol. 184 No. 1
asked the Minister for Defence what allowances are payable to the members of the Irish forces serving with the United Nations in the Congo; how these compare with the allowances payable to troops of other nations serving there; whether he is aware of the widespread discontent which exists regarding the inadequacy of the allowances; and if he will take immediate steps to rectify the matter.
89.
asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to reports in which it was stated that Irish troops in the Congo had grounds for dissatisfaction in regard to rates of pay and general conditions of service; and if he will make a statement in regard to these reports and the present rates of pay and general conditions of service of Irish troops in the Congo.
I propose, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, with your permission to take Questions Nos. 88 and 89 together.
A special overseas allowance of 7/6d. a day is payable, with effect from the date of their departure, to the Irish troops serving with the United Nations Force in the Republic of the Congo. They are also currently being paid an allowance of approximately 9/- a day directly by the United Nations Authorities. Thus the total allowance for service in the Congo is 16/6d. a day or £5 15s. 6d. per week. In addition the troops are, of course, entitled to their normal service pay and allowances.
There is no justification for statements that there is widespread discontent among the troops over the amount of the allowance, but the question of its adequacy is being kept constantly under review.
I am not in a position to make an authoritative statement on the allowances being paid by other Governments to their troops in the Congo. Such information as I have indicates that these allowances vary very considerably and that some are greater and some are less than the allowance we pay.
As regards the conditions generally under which our troops are serving in the Congo, I would like to make it clear that this is the province of the United Nations. At the same time, my Department, with the co-operation of other Departments in a position to help, such as An Roinn Poist agus Telegrafa, has done all in its power to make conditions as comfortable as possible. Our two battalions on their departure were extremely well equipped not only with the requisite military equipment but also with welfare supplies of considerable variety and quantity. There is some reason to think that ours was amongst the best equipped of the national contingents, if not indeed the best equipped.
Since the despatch of the contingent everything humanly possible has been done by my Department to maintain morale at a high level and to supplement whenever possible the efforts of the United Nations towards their welfare. I am sure Deputies will appreciate the magnitude of the task which confronted the United Nations in arranging for the care of some 20,000 troops of many nationalities which had to be hurriedly transported and deployed in the Congo amid conditions of great political, military and racial confusion in that country. I am glad to be able to say that welfare conditions are continually improving.
Finally, I can assure Deputies that our troops have suffered no real privations and while they are working under tension and in difficult conditions their morale is extremely high. The health of the troops is excellent.
Can the Minister say whether he has received recent representations from officers and men serving in the Congo as to the inadequacy of the allowance of 16/6d. per day? Would it not be true to say that the Irish forces are the worst paid forces serving there at the moment?
No such representations have been received by me and while, as I have said, I am not in a position to make an authoritative statement about allowances paid to the other troops, it is not true to say that ours are the worst paid.
If representations have not been made to the Minister, will he make inquiries from the people serving there as to their conditions?
The Army authorities are in constant touch with the troops and no complaints have been made.
May I take it then that so far as the Army authorities are concerned, the information they have given the Minister is that the allowances are adequate?
They appear to be adequate. As a matter of fact, none of the Irish soldiers has drawn any of the overseas allowance allotted to him by this Government. So far, the soldiers have made do with that supplied by the United Nations.
I should like to have this clear: is the Minister stating that the information he has from the Army authorities is that the allowance payable at the moment is quite adequate?
The matter is kept continually under review and as far as we are aware, there is no complaint in that respect.
Question No. 19.
May I ask the Minister a question? The Minister may not have received complaints but I can assure him I have received complaints. Everybody wants to ensure that these troops have conditions as nearly ideal as we can make them.
Has the Deputy a question to put to the Minister?
Yes. May I ask the Minister therefore whether we can have an assurance from him that he will make inquiries to ascertain whether there are any grounds for complaint about the inadequacy of the present allowance, due to the high prices in the Congo, and that if any such difficulties arise the matter will be met in a reasonable way by increasing the allowances to meet the high cost of living there?
Inquiries are constantly being made in that respect and we have no complaints whatever in regard to it. The matter is constantly under review and, as Deputies know, the original overseas allowance, which was fixed in advance of the troops going out and without knowing the conditions that obtained there, was 4/- a day. That was increased to 7/6d. and that amount is payable from the date of the departure of the troops to serve in the Congo.
Would the Minister like me to read from these letters——
I cannot allow any further supplementaries.
90.
asked the Minister for Defence if he will give particulars of payments made to troops in the Congo.
All personnel of the Irish Contingent in the Republic of the Congo are entitled to their full normal rates of pay together with a special overseas allowance of 7/6d. a day. In addition, the United Nations pays an allowance of 1 dollar 30 cents (approx. 9/-) a day.
