Vol. 433 No. 2
79 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Defence the reason soldiers who retired from the Permanent Defence Force after January 1992, are receiving a higher rate of pension payment than those who retired before January 1992; if he intends to take steps to remove this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The same rates of basic pension in respect of 21 years' pensionable service and of special increment in respect of each year of pensionable service in excess of 21 years but not exceeding 31 years are payable to all soldiers irrespective of their dates of retirement. An addition to pension in respect of military service allowance is, subject to certain conditions, payable only to soldiers retiring on or after 1 August 1990. This addition was introduced on foot of a recommendation of the Commission on Remuneration and Conditions of Service in the Defence Forces (the Gleeson Commission) that the military service allowance should be made pensionable and applies only to personnel retiring on or after 1 August 1990, i.e. the day following publication of the Commission's report.
