I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 79 together.
The service commitment scheme was introduced in 1997 for pilot officers of the Air Corps. From the outset the scheme applied primarily to experienced personnel who were rated on and flying the Gulfstream IV, Beechcraft, CASA and Dauphin aircraft which are the principal operational aircraft in the Air Corps. The scheme was introduced with a view to assisting in the retention in service of senior pilots in key appointments in areas such as search and rescue, maritime surveillance and ministerial air transport. The gratuities available under the scheme were designed to strike a fair and reasonable balance between the demands of the external commercial environment and the need to exercise responsibility in relation to public service pay. Such financial incentives are not uncommon in defence forces in other countries where similar difficulties exist in retaining highly qualified and readily marketable personnel. The scheme, moreover, was perceived to offer a more acceptable avenue of approach for all concerned than the imposition of any compulsory retention.