Vol. 536 No. 2
125 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Defence the further developments which have taken place regarding the implementation of the military service allowance since the publication of the pensions report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13808/01]
This question refers to the issue of having military service allowance – MSA – included in the calculation of pensions of Defence Forces personnel who retired before the 1 August 1990. As I previously indicated to the House, the issue of the pensionability of allowances, including the MSA, and the consequences for pensioners generally was specifically addressed by the Commission on Public Service Pensions in its final report, which was published by my colleague, the Minister for Finance, on 31 January 2001. The Government has not yet completed its detailed consideration of the commission's report. Once it has done so, the Government will make formal decisions on the commission's recommendations. In this context, the report is a lengthy and complex document and contains many wide-ranging and far-reaching recommendations regarding public service pensions generally.
When publishing the report, the Minister for Finance noted, in particular, the commission's view that its recommendations as set out in its final report represent an integrated and cohesive long-term strategy for public service pensions, and that in implementing this strategy it would be important to preserve the integrity of the package of measures as a whole. As I recently indicated to the House, this element will be a significant consideration in deciding the Government's response to the commission's report.
