Ba mhaith liom buíochas a gabháil leis na dTeachtaí ar gach thaobh a bhí páirteach san díospóireacht, do na daoine atá páirteach i gcúrsaí cosanta san Roinn, agus a raibh an dea-fhocal le rá ag Teachtaí ina dtaobh. Is léir go bhfuil suim ag leathnú san ábhar seo.
I should like to thank Deputies from all sides of the House who contributed to this debate on the Estimate for Defence and also the Vote on Army pensions. I agree with their comments as being very fair, responsible and knowledgeable, with one exception, and completely in tune with my own feelings in the Department in regard to both arms of the Department of Defence, the administrative and the military arm. It is clear there is an appreciation of the work being done, of the many tasks undertaken and the immense spread of activities of the Army, the Naval Service, the Air Corps, the FCA, Civil Defence and, in other ways, by the Equitation School, the Army School of Music and the Apprentice School.
I have come to have a certain admiration for a much maligned branch of the Army, the administration. I was always under the impression that there was a constant tug-of-war between the military and the administration. I find that is not so but that the administration too have played a very significant role in this success story. I would compare them to the people behind the scenes. The Defence Forces are on stage under the spotlights and the administration are those behind the scenes who are responsible for the lighting and the general production and are very responsible and should share in the compliments that are being paid.
I am glad to note that appreciation of the duties of the Defence Forces is so universal and that the amount of work they do is so well known to so many Deputies. I would like to compliment the Minister for State, Deputy Aherne, on his contribution which was solely concerned with the Civil Defence. I want to assure him that the commitment and the seriousness with which he treated the Civil Defence will be matched in the Department and this is very heartening. It augurs well for the future of that body.
Deputy Creed referred to the conditions of service of the forces with particular reference to pay and allowances which form a big part of this Vote. The welfare of the Defence Forces has, at all times, been the special care of successive governments. The conditions of service of all members are kept under constant and sympathetic consideration and any improvements which are regarded as necessary are made. Very worthwhile improvements have been made and the Government constantly bear in mind the needs of the forces. In particular the rates of pay and allowances are kept in step with the rates applicable in other areas of the public service.
Deputy Creed referred to the question of compensation for the long and unsocial hours of duty of military personnel. It is a fact that liability for duty at all times is one of the peculiarities of military life. Others include the liability to frequent transfers, the binding commitment to fixed periods of service and the restrictions inherent in military discipline. To compensate personnel for these drawbacks and to encourage trained personnel to extend their service, a military service allowance is payable to privates, other than apprentices and recruits undergoing training, all non-commissioned officers and officers up to and including the rank of captain. The current rate of this allowance for personnel with 3 or more years' service is £11.02 per week.
In addition special allowances are payable to officers and men where they are called upon to perform particularly onerous or exceptionally demanding duties. Personnel engaged in Border areas, involving general disturbance and extended hours of duty, are paid a special allowance of £13.30 per week for men and £15.40 per week for officers. Personnel involved in security duties such as duties in aid of the civil power and guard duty on vital installations, are paid an allowance of £6.50 for duties undertaken on week-days and £13 for duties undertaken on Sundays and Army holidays.
I would like here to deal with the role and duties of the Defence Forces. As Deputies are aware the primary role of the Defence Forces is to defend the State against external aggression. In addition to this primary role the Defence Forces fulfil a number of other roles, which are also of great importance. Broadly speaking these roles consist of—: (i) aid to the civil power; (ii) aid to Civil Defence; (iii) participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions; (iv) fishery protection; (v) other duties assigned to the Defence Forces such as search and rescue, helicopter ambulance service, and assistance on the occasion of natural disasters. I would like to thank those who complimented the personnel involved and will convey those compliments to them.
The role of the Defence Forces in rendering aid to the civil power has been specifically referred to by Deputies in the course of the debate. In practice this means that the Defence Forces assist, when requested, the Garda Síochána, who have the primary responsibility for the maintenance or restoration of the public peace and for internal security. Unfortunately over the past number of years there has been a significant increase in the demands made on the Defence Forces for such assistance. As I indicated in my previous statement this has involved the Defence Forces in a wide range of activities.
Deputies will realise that, despite the cost involved, these activities are necessary in the fulfilment of the duty of the State to maintain security and civil order.
I am aware of the very heavy burden which these duties place on the Defence Forces and also on the Garda Síochána. Such duties are necessary to ensure State security and, pursuant to their role of rendering aid to the civil power, the Defence Forces must continue to undertake these duties for as long as is necessary. Personnel of the Defence Forces are given the training and equipment necessary to undertake the duties to which I have referred and I can assure Deputies that the arrangements for the provision of assistance by the Defence Forces in these cases is the subject of continuing review.
Deputy Creed emphasised the need for commitment on the part of the Minister for Defence. He stressed that we should be determined to do the job well and to be forceful in providing finance for the Department. I do not need anybody to twist my arm in this regard. I will use every endeavour to carry out the duties that have been allotted to me as best I can.
Escorts for cash in transit were introduced by the then Minister for Justice in 1978 following on some serious hold-ups and robberies. The arrangements for these escorts are not the primary responsibility of my Department. The Defence Forces, as in other matters of this kind, co-operate in these escorts in aid of the Garda Síochána. The effort has been very largely successful so far.
With regard to the strength figures quoted by Deputy Creed the position is that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force was 10,654 at the end of 1973 and it had increased to 14,750 by the end of 1977. A gradual decline reduced the strength to 13,245 by the end of May 1980. However, due to an intensive recruitment campaign a steady increase in strength was achieved from mid-1980 up to the end of 1981 when the strength stood at 15,202, its highest level since the emergency years. There will always be wastage in any group of people for one reason or another. But we need only be worried when the supply does not meet demand. We can be happy in the fact that we have the biggest and, I would venture to say, the best Army for years.
With regard to the question of wastage it is important to bear in mind that non-commissioned personnel of the Permanent Defence Force are enlisted for definite periods of specified duration. At the end of an engagement a man or woman may opt for discharge or may extend his or her service for a further definite period. It is also possible to seek and obtain a discharge before the end of an engagement, for example, by purchase or on compassionate grounds. Substantial turnover of personnel has always been a feature of the Permanent Defence Forces and will continue to be so in the future. The loss of trained personnel, especially in the technical fields, can cause problems for the Defence Forces. However, this situation is kept under constant review by my Department and the military authorities with a view to ensuring that such wastage is minimised, as far as possible, and that adequate numbers are receuited and trained to compensate for any losses. I might also add that while trained personnel who leave are a loss to the Force they continue to benefit the State by the utilisation of the skills and expertise which they have required in the Forces in outside employment. In my own native area, the Curragh, there was a reluctance to employ ex-soliders in civilian jobs as it was felt that their training did not fit them for any other type of work. I am happy to say that this situation has been completely reversed and now ex-Army personnel are well trained and much sought after in many walks of life.
In regard to participation of the military in Easter parades in Dublin the present operational demands on the Permanent Defence Force preclude the holding of a military parade at Easter.
Up to and including 1971, ceremonies were held on Easter Sunday consisting of a military parade, a march past in Dublin at which the President took the salute at the General Post Office. In 1972 and 1973, because of the heavy demands on the Defence Forces, particularly because of security duties, the parade and the march past did not take place, nor have they taken place since.
While preparing for a parade it would be necessary to withdraw those participating, whether they were members of the Permanent Defence Forces or of the Reserve, from active service two or three weeks before the parade for training and rehearsals, thus putting an intolerable strain on the remainder as regards military aid to the civil power duties. It was also the practice to withdraw many vehicles and equipment for maintenance and painting before the parade. In recent years the operational tasks of the Army have increased and the deployment of troops for the Easter military parade would impose an unacceptable burden on the force. That is why it had to be discontinued.
Great stress was laid by most speakers on the question of accommodation, both in the context of this debate and recently in connection with Dáil questions. As I said when introducing the Estimate, accommodation is a major task and this is to be expected considering that many of the barracks and posts are very old. Of its nature, the problem is not one which can be solved overnight, but I am determined to make every effort to achieve progress in this matter. One must give credit where it is due. Much has been done already in this area but there is still a tremendous amount of work to be undertaken.
To provide modern accommodation for the single soldier, new billets have been built in recent years at Finner Camp, Dundalk Baracks, Gormanston Camp, Dún Úi Mhaoilíosa, Galway, and Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy. Also completed recently was new billet accommodation for 90 female soldiers at Ceannt Barracks, Curragh Camp, and for 70 naval personnal at Haulbowline. These billets are all of a high standard and compare very favourably with what is available to the single soldier in any army anywhere. Side by side with the provision of new billets there is a programme to improve existing billets — making smaller and more comfortable rooms with individual lighting, better heating and modern-day washing and toilet facilities.
I believe good dining and recreational facilities are also essential. A new cookhouse and dining hall complex has recently been completed at Kickham Barracks, Clonmel, and work is well advanced on another such complex at Finner Camp. We are following a programme of improvements to men's canteens and a number have already been brought up to a very high standard.
In the area of sports facilities there has been continuing progress. The construction of squash courts at Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa, Galway, is nearing completion. Work on the erection of a new sports pavilion at the Army Athletic Association grounds, Phoenix Park, and on the modernisation of the swimming pool at Curragh Camp is expected to commence in the near future. Improvements to the gymnasia at Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin and Connolly Barracks, Longford, are currently in hands. Even in a period of stringency it is nice to know money can be found for such projects and we must believe in the maxim that not on bread alone do the military live.
Apart from accommodation, the building programme includes a wide variety of projects — the new FCA Headquarters being built at Portlaoise, a garage for motor transptort classes at the Army Apprentice School, Naas, a transport service facility at Cathal Brugha Barracks and an extension to the Apprentices Hostel at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel.
A number of speakers raised the question of married quarters. I am only too well aware from personal knowledge of the problem which arises here. Over the years the Department have been providing new married quarters at various locations throughout the country. The Army see their duty to provide married quarters as being one of supplementing the efforts of local authorities at centres where, from the military point of view, the need is greatest.
As has been said repeatedly in this House and elsewhere — and this is the basic position — the provision of housing is primarily a matter for the local authorities and married soldiers have an equal claim on such housing with other members of the community in the same income category. The Department's policy is to supplement the efforts of local authorities where soldiers' housing needs are greatest.
The present stock of new married quarters is 334 and a number of fresh developments are at present being pushed forward. Work on the first phase of the programme for the replacement of the married quarters at Cathal Brugha Barracks is well advanced and planning and initial development are being undertaken on further new houses at the Curragh Camp and Cork.
It is our intention that all unsuitable married quarters will eventually be replaced by modern housing. Meantime, as the old type married quarters become vacant, it is policy not to reallocate those which are deemed unfit for occupation. The weekly charges for the old type quarters — pre-1954 — are nominal. Because of their general standard, however, the overall objective is to replace them with modern housing.
Deputies raised the question of over-holders. I intend having this problem examined by the three Departments involved, the Department of Defence, the Department of Finance and the Department of the Environment, and I hope we can effect some breakthrough and get the people affected accommodation elsewhere. This would have a two-fold benefit. We would be housing the over-holders in local authority dwellings and this would free the married quarters for serving soldiers. The payment of money due to over-holders was raised. The pensions of ex-soldiers who are overholding married quarters are withheld but the gratuities are not. They are paid straightaway in the hope that they might assist them as down payments or help them get alternative accommodation and so vacate married quarters.
The gratuities paid to members of the FCA are not taxed. Gratuities paid to members of the FCA and An Slua Muirí in respect of attendance at annual training have been increased with effect from 1 January 1981 and they are not taxed. Those who do not less than 14 days training — area commander, officer in command of FCA staff or company battery and so on — get a gratuity of £108, or for seven days training £53; other officers get £71 a fortnight, or £36 a week; NCOs get £57 gratuity and £29 for a week and privates get £42 gratuity for their annual fortnight training with the FCA or Slua Muirí, or £22 a week.
Deputy Treacy raised quite a few matters. The provision for the Defence Estimate, including the Estimate for £204,113,000 and £14 million Vote for remuneration and pay increase, amounts to £218 million. That represents an increase of £46 million on the provision for 1981, which included a Supplementary Estimate of almost £28 million. I can assure the Deputy that, based on the current Defence Forces' Estimate, the financial allocation for 1982 will be adequate. We are providing nearly £1 million a week more than was provided last year. During the course of many urgings, Deputy Treacy urged that I should accelerate the recruiting drive. He might examine his conscience there and ask who put a stop to recruiting and the embargo on the jobs. In case he does not know, it was a Labour Minister, now departed from the House, who did that during his term of office.
Deputy Treacy also referred to increases in pay. As I stated when introducing this Estimate, we have made provision for increases in pay under the recent agreement on pay in the public service and these will cost almost £14 million. Those increases will be made on the Vote for remuneration. I was also urged by the same Deputy not to be parochial. I assure him that Fianna Fáil puts Ireland first. We are not parochial. The party to which I belong are fortunate in being nationwide. We have a representative in every constituency in the country and that did not happen because we were parochial or pandered to groups or to the lowest common denominator.
There was reference to an under-estimation in 1981 to the tune of £10 million. That related to pay increases. There was a shortfall in the Defence Estimate. Seventy per cent of that last year related to pay and allowances. It is normally made up by transferring money from the Vote for remuneration. Last year the shortfall in the Estimate gave rise to a Supplementary Estimate which was an addition of 19.4 per cent. In 1975 the addition required by way of Supplementary Estimate was 21.2 per cent, so this is not unusual. It arose in the course of the year due to the buoyancy of recruiting, even though advertising for recruits was discontinued at the end of 1980. We based our projections on that occasion on the strength of the Defence Forces in the autumn of 1980.
I would like to point out to Deputy Treacy that nothing is as counterproductive as overkill. He talked about over-holders, that there should be no harassment of these people. There is no harassment of overholders, and I know what I am talking about. No overholder was ever harassed or evicted and the gratuity is not withheld, though the pension is. Even in the case of a pension, sometimes an advance is made. The Deputy said that this harassment was not right or proper. I assure him that his statement was not right anyhow, although it may have been proper. It is not factual. The service gratuity, where due, is paid to any soldier who is on discharge, whether he is overholding or not. That is done in the hope that the overholder concerned might obtain, with the help of his gratuity, alternative accommodation.
Security and Border allowances payable to personnel of units on duty in Border areas were first introduced in January 1972. For married officers in 1972 the daily rate was 75p a day; it is now £2.20. For single officers in 1972 it was 60p a day and it is £2.20 now. For married men it was 50p in 1972 daily, it is now £1.90. For single men in 1972 it was 40p a day. It is £1.90, since 1 October 1980.
Deputy Treacy said that the military service pension and the special allowance to our veterans were insulting to them. I will now give the House the lower and upper income limits of the amount of pension paid. First of all, for a military service pensioner the minimum is £658 a year and the maximum in excess of £5,000 a year. For the widow of such pensioner it is paid at half the deceased husband's military service pension. The minimum is £329 a year and the maximum over £2,500. The minimum for a special allowance is £296 a year and the maximum £877 a year. The widow of the special allowance holder receives an allowance of £296 a year, irrespective of means. The total expenditure on pensions and allowances for veterans and their dependants is currently running at the rate of £8 million a year. These allowances will be increased from 1 July next. I would not consider that insulting. The expression is ill-advised and wrongly used.
With regard to uniforms, I am advised that, while there was a temporary shortage of uniforms last summer for particular sizes in certain items, there is an adequate stock of FCA uniforms now available and the delivery position in relation to contracts for Army uniforms is satisfactory.
As Deputy Cooney pointed out, Deputy Treacy was wrong in saying that the potential officers course mentioned in my opening remarks was the first to be held. That is not true. The first potential officers course was held in 1922. Then there were 20 students. The next was held in 1970, with 31 students. Another was held in 1975-76, when there were 22 students, then in 1978-79, when there were 25 students. The present potential officers course has 25 students. The decision to hold the present course was taken by my predecessor, Deputy Sylvester Barrett, on 12 May 1981 and the course commenced in October 1981. This course has been in operation for many years. I mention this because the subject is very dear to my heart. Individual cases come to mind, but there was one particular NCO whom I was happy to help in regard to getting a house. I saw him subsequently taking a second chance at his leaving certificate in the vocational school at the Curragh, when the Army block-released him for so many years to do this certificate. Later I came upon him doing his potential officers course. I am glad to say he is now a commissioned officer, married and living in Naas. Happenings like this would give anyone confidence in the future of the Irish Army.
Deputy Treacy alleged that there was some skullduggery in selecting participants for the potential officers course. He seemed to be pretty definite about it, but I wonder if he made any representations in that regard — I promised to look at the files. The course has been on for some time, so he will have had an opportunity of contacting a Minister more to his liking than I am. I feel that I might not find any representations from Deputy Tully in the files because, instead of looking for a cure for the problem, he is more interested in coming into the House and getting publicity by raising the matter here.
