Vol. 531 No. 3
140 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Defence if any members of either the First Line Reserve or the FCA, who were on full-time security duties in the period prior to July 1989, were paid military service allowance or security duty allowance. [5863/01]
Military service allowance and security duty allowance were introduced for the Permanent Defence Force in 1979 and 1974 respectively. Military service allowance was introduced to compensate for the hardship, danger and discipline aspects of military life. Security duty allowance was introduced to compensate for exceptional duties over and above the normal peacetime pattern of military duties. Prior to 1989, the position was that some members of the Reserve Defence Force, including First Line Reserve and An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil, were called up and engaged on full-time duties. Military service allowance was not paid to members of the Reserve Defence Forces engaged on full-time security duties. A limited review of the Departmental records undertaken in the time available indicates that security duty allowance was paid to members of the Reserve Defence Force.
