asked the Minister for Defence if he will state what increases in pay for members of the Defence Forces have now been approved by the Government and the dates from which these increases will take effect.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Pay of Defence Forces.
Increases in pay for members of the Defence Forces were approved by the Government in 1949 and became effective from the 1st September, 1949. These increases were as follows:—
|
Major-General |
£109 10 0 per annum. |
|
Colonel |
6/- a day(£109 10 0 per annum). |
|
Lieut.-Colonel |
5/- a day(£91 5 0 per annum). |
|
Commandant |
2/- a day(£36 10 0 per annum). |
|
Captain |
3/- a day(£54 15 0 per annum). |
|
Soldiers (all ranks except recruits) |
1/- a day. |
Lodging, fuel and light allowance, which had been at the rate of 8/- a day for all married officers, was increased to 10/- a day for junior officers (up to captain) and to 12/- a day for senior officers. In the case of soldiers, the "wife's allowance" was increased from 17/6 to 21/- a week.
No further increases in pay for members of the Defence Forces have been approved by the Government.
May I ask the Minister if the position in Great Britain, where substantial increases in pay have been recently granted, has been considered? Has the Minister and the Government considered that if there is not a reasonable increase in pay now for members of our Defence Forces, there is a grave danger that recruiting will suffer and that, in fact, men upon whom this country should depend may leave the country and take up service in the British forces and that if there is not an increase in pay very soon there may be an incentive to desertion from the Forces here? In those circumstances, would the Minister consider that there ought to be an immediate increase in pay for the members of the Defence Forces here?
Does the Minister not consider that the disparity between the increases awarded to senior officers and those given to junior officers, and particularly to serving soldiers, is calculated to increase the danger of desertion to which the previous Deputy referred?
The supplementary questions, Sir, are rather wide of the original question.
No.
Nevertheless, I do not think it is advisable to have this slavish idea of marching step by step with Britain and taking Britain as the only example to our people. When you think it out I believe that the rates of pay paid to our Army and those paid in Britain when examined in the broader sense are reasonably comparable. We might just as well take the French Army, who are paid a few shillings a week. The British soldier is attested for world service; the Irish soldier is attested for home service. The cost of the ordinary comforts which the soldier buys is less here; cigarettes are 1/8 a packet here; they are 3/4 a packet there; beer or porter is correspondingly higher; soldiers in our Army are as far as possible given facilities and opportunities to reside with their families. That is very different in Great Britain. The new rates of pay in Great Britain were undertaken on the eve of sending British forces to the far ends of the world to fight. All the factors referred to by Deputy Captain Cowan are continuously under consideration. So far, in spite of financial attractions, there is no evidence of any desire on the part of the young men of this country to serve under the Union Jack rather than under the Irish Tricolour.
Does the Minister not think that the disparity of treatment is not calculated to make for contented forces, the difference between the percentage increases awarded to the higher ranking officers and those awarded to the lower ranking officers and serving soldiers?
The increases in pay which were made last September were submitted to this House and approved. They were welcomed by all ranks of the Army and I took very full steps and precautions to ensure that the proposed new rates were welcomed and regarded as satisfactory. The evidence of the satisfaction which the new rates gave was a higher percentage of people presenting themselves as recruits and more significant still, the vastly higher percentage of three years' men whose time fell in who re-attested. For the first time in my experience as Minister I now have representations to give authority to soldiers who have reached the date of termination of service on age to re-attest and have an extended age. If all that is not evidence of a contented Army I do not know where to look.
Will the Minister say how many desertions——
This must end. It is a debate now.
I have been asked one question which if it were not answered would leave a bad impression.
My question was: how many desertions took place since 27th August?
Three in the course of this year.
Including the navy?
Three desertions from the Defence Forces.