Vol. 474 No. 6
25 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Defence the proposals, if any, he has to improve the pay and conditions of members of the Defence Forces serving in the Border region particularly in view of the additional workload due to the BSE security operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3412/97]
37 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Defence the reason a member of the Defence Forces, while standing on the same BSE checkpoint as a garda, is not entitled to claim subsistence, in view of the fact that the hot meal provided to the gardaí is paid for to the sum of £3.10 by the Department of Justice and the garda is still entitled to claim his or her subsistence allowance; and the plans, if any, he has to give parity of esteem to members of the Defence Forces. [3611/97]
38 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Defence the basis on which he can justify not paying subsistence allowances to members of the Defence Forces who are aiding the civil power in patrols dealing with the BSE crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1376/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 37 and 38 together.
In addition to basic pay, a military service allowance is payable to all members of the Permanent Defence Force up to and including the rank of colonel to compensate personnel for the special conditions associated with military life, such as the unsocial hours of duty, being subject to transfers and a requirement to service in all conditions. The current rate in the case of officers in £2,091 per annum, and in the case of non-commissioned officers and private is £40.08 per week, £2,091 per annum, with the exception of privates with less than three years' service who receive £14.43 per week. The allowance is paid irrespective of the actual hours worked. In addition, all personnel posted to Border units are in receipt of a Border duty allowance of £50.07 per week in the case of officers and £44.91 per week in the case of non-commissioned officers and privates. The allowance is paid, irrespective of the actual hours worked, on a continuous basis, including periods of annual leave, sick leave, etc.
The commission on remuneration and conditions of service in the Defence Forces, which examined and determined the rates of remuneration of the Permanent Defence Force in July 1990, expressly stated its conclusion that military duties were clearly in a distinctive category and that it would not be appropriate to fix military pay on the basis of a direct comparison with the pay of gardaí.
The provisions governing the payment of subsistence allowance to Defence Forces personnel are provided for in Defence Force regulations. These provisions are currently under review in the conciliation and arbitration scheme forum.
