Written Answers. - Gleeson Report Recommendations.
Peadar Clohessy
Ceist:
33
Mr. Clohessy
asked the
Minister for Defence
whether he intends to implement the Gleeson commission recommendation that a further stocktaking exercise be held within four years to assess progress on issues such as budgeting, promotions, resource rationalisation and manpower policy; if not, the way in which he intends to monitor progress with the Gleeson recommendation (details supplied).
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:
96
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Defence
if the recommendations of the Gleeson report in respect of Army pay and conditions have now been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 96 together.
Following publication of the Gleeson Commission's report the Government immediately accepted the recommendations relating to remuneration and approved their implementation as recommended.
Accordingly the increases in pay proposed by the Commission have been fully implemented and there has been further enhancement of those pay rates by the additions provided for under theProgramme for Economic and Social Progress. The Commission recommended Increases in, and extension of, Military Service Allowance, which, combined with rank pay makes up basic remuneration for military personnel and those increases have been fully applied.
Military personnel qualify for a wide range of additional allowances — for example, for a variety of security duties such as those connected with cash escorts; for prison duty and for overseas service. Increases recommended in those allowances have all been fully applied as well as subsequent additions under theProgramme for Economic and Social Progress.
The commission proposed the introduction of several new allowances, for example, for bomb-disposal teams, for instructors, for officers on substitution duty and for personnel maintaining essential public services.
The report of the Commission dealt extensively with non-pay aspects of conditions of service and proposed improvements to these. Meals provided for soldiers now have a greater variety of food items and better nutritional value and more personnel now receive free meals and free accommodation. Uncertified sick leave facilities for non-commissioned personnel are now in operation. A new comprehensive welfare and counselling service for the Defence Forces, involving the employment of civilian specialists in social work, has been introduced and is working effectively.
The Commission's recommendations in regard to military personnel on overseas service have been implemented. For those in Lebanon this has meant, apart from increased allowances, free telephone calls home to relatives. Charges have been waived for certain items of equipment which attracted a charge in the past. Requests for repatriation on compassionate grounds at the Department's expense are sympathetically considered.
In addition a new scheme of promotion on merit for commissioned officers as recommended by the Commission is in operation and a number of competitions for promotion to Commandant and to more senior ranks has been held in line with the new arrangements.
From the begining there has been full consultation between the Department and the representative associations in regard to the implementation of the Gleeson report. This consultative process was firmly established following the formal setting up of the associations in May, 1991. The Conciliation Council in which both civil and military personnel of the department meet with the associations on a regular basis, provides the mechanism for the on-going monitoring of progress.
As to the remainder of the Commission's recommendations, these relate in the main to the area of management; military structures, organisation rationalisation and deployment; manpower and personnel policy; and superannuation. These are complex matters and a programme to address them systematically and comprehensively is being pursued.
The time-frame relating to the recommendations in the areas to which I have referred is dependant on the complexity of the issues involved and in many cases on the necessary consulative process with the representative associations. There has been sustained attention by the Department to the Gleeson report and progress with its implementation will continue to be made as quickly as possible. Constant monitoring of progress is an inherent function of the processes to which I have referred and the proposed new review of structures organisation of the Defence Forces which I announced recently will provide further opportunity to assess progress in regard to the Gleeson recommendations in general.
