Vol. 480 No. 2
93 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the representations made on behalf of 19 officers (details supplied) of the Defence Forces who served with UNTSO in the Middle East and who are claiming back pay and additional moneys in respect of their service there; if his Department is prepared to agree to the extra payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13858/97]
The United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation in the Middle East (UNTSO) was established in 1948 to supervise the ceasefire arranged by the United Nations Security Council between Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Israel. It is an unarmed observer mission whose duties are to observe the ceasefire and report breaches thereof.
The payment of an overseas observer allowance to personnel serving as observers with UNTSO was first sanctioned in 1971. In the exceptional conditions arising from the war of June, 1967, it was decided to authorise payment of this allowance in respect of service in that particular mission area with effect from 1 June, 1967. Personnel of the Permanent Defence Force first participated with UNTSO in December, 1958. Twenty-seven officers served with this organisation prior to 1 June, 1967, accounting for 15,411 mandays. The approximate cost of conceding retrospective payment of observer overseas allowance would be £185,000 at current daily rates. In view of the very considerable time, approximately 30 years, which has elapsed since the personnel concerned served on this mission, I feel that payment of retrospective observer overseas allowance at this stage is not justified. I am further persuaded in this course by the rationale adopted by my predecessors since the 1970s, in granting retrospection of the 1971 allowance to 1 June, 1967, viz. the particular conditions of hardship occasioned by the Arab-Israeli war of June 1967 and subsequently.
