With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 275, 276 and 279 together. The following is the information requested:
(1) Personnel are generally rostered for duty on a weekly basis.
(2) As the rostering arrangements vary with the nature of the duty to be performed and the particular tasks which are allotted to individual units, it would not be possible to furnish details of such arrangements.
(3) While there is no maximum period of continuous duty applying to personnel of the Defence Forces, normally duty would not exceed 24 hours.
(4) The normal training week provides for 1½ rest days. However, following a continuous period of 24 hours' duty, a resting-off period of 24 hours is allowed.
(5) Annual leave allowances of Army and Air Corps personnel:
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Category
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Annual leave allowance
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Officers of Commandant and higher rank
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42 days
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Other officers
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30 days
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Men
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21 days
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Annual leave allowances of Naval Service personnel:
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Category
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Annual leave allowance
|
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Officers of Lieutenant-Commander and higher rank and junior officers serving afloat
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42 days
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Other officers
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30 days
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Men serving afloat
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42 days
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Other men
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21 days
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(6) Leave (other than annual leave) available to Army, Air Corps and Naval Service personnel:
(a) Special leave with pay—
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Circumstances in which special leave may be granted
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Maximum period of special leave allowable
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For the purpose of participating in an international athletic contest (officers and men)
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14 days
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On the occasion of the serious illness or death of an immediate relative (officers and men)
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3 days
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On return from service outside the State with an International United Nations Force (officers and men)
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30 days
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On retirement on age grounds (officers only)
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28 days
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On discharge from the Permanent Defence Force or on transfer to the Reserve Defence Force (men only) where service is—
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|
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at least 21 years
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91 days
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between 12 and 21 years
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56 days
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between 2 and 12 years
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28 days
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between 1 and 2 years
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14 days
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On extension of service in the Permanent Defence Force (men only)—
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|
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Men of the Line Class
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21 days (under review)
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Men of the Technician Class who were enlisted for 6 years in the Permanent Defence Force
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42 days (under review)
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On transfer to a new station (officers and men)
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3 days
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Maternity leave for female personnel (a further 28 days leave without pay may be granted on the expiration of maternity leave)
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84 days
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In addition to the special leave indicated above, special leave with pay for the period of necessary absence from his station may be granted to an officer or man—
(i) who comes into contact with a case of infectious disease or is resident in an area where there is an outbreak of infectious disease;
(ii) for the purpose of attending before a civil court as a witness on behalf of a party other than the State;
(iii) for the purpose of attending examinations held by the Civil Service Commissioners, the Department of Education, the Universities, recognised professional institutions, the Institute of Public Administration and other similar bodies.
(b) Special leave without pay may be granted in certain exceptional circumstances where annual leave has been exhausted.
(c) Sick leave
A. Officers
Sick leave and/or hospital treatment up to a maximum period, or aggregate periods, of 548 days in any period of four years may be granted to an officer. (Special provision is made for officers suffering from tuberculosis.) Full pay and allowances would be issuable for the first 365 days of sick leave and half pay for the remaining 183 days. An officer may, at any time, be retired from the Permanent Defence Force on medical grounds if he is unfit for further service therein.
B. Men
A man may be granted up to 90 days' sick leave and/or hospital treatment on the recommendation of a medical officer. This period may be extended on the recommendation of an Army Medical Board. All sick leave in the case of men would be with full pay and there are no maximum periods laid down. A man may, at any time, be discharged on the grounds of being below Army physical standards if he is unfit for further service.
In relation to both officers and men, the principal criterion in deciding on the grant of sick leave is whether or not there is a reasonable prospect of return to duty on the expiration of the period of sick leave. All cases of sick leave are kept under regular review in the light of this criterion.
With regard to part (b) of the question, the weekly charge made is either £3.53 or £2.35, depending on the quality and condition of the accommodation provided. Accommodation charges were last reviewed with effect from 1 March 1980 and the previous review took place in 1970.
With regard to part (c), members of the force (other than recruits during training) are not required to live in official accommodation and there are no plans at present to provide additional single accommodation. Maintenance of existing accommodation is carried out by the Office of Public Works except where leased property is maintained by the lessor.
With regard to parts (d) and (e), the normal rule is that, where they are on duty at a distance of two miles or more from permanent station for at least five hours, members receive a monetary allowance (subsistence allowance) and they make their own arrangements for the supply of food. I am not aware of any suggestion that members generally would prefer to forego this arrangement. Exceptionally, where members are engaged on special duties away from their permanent stations for unusually long periods, or in other special circumstances, they may be supplied with refreshments at public expense but on the basis that, if the circumstances warrant the supply of a full meal, the subsistence allowance that would otherwise be payable is reduced or abated.
