Vol. 553 No. 2
166 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Defence if there is scope for reconsideration of inclusion of the military service allowance in the calculation of the pensions of Defence Force's personnel who retired prior to August 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12990/02]
Arising from a recommendation made in 1990 by the Commission on Remuneration and Conditions of Service in the Defence Forces (the Gleeson Commission), military service allowance was made pensionable in the case of personnel retiring on or after August 1990. This approach was fully consistent with settled public service pensions policy which provides that the benefit of an allowance being made pensionable for serving personnel does not extend to existing pensioners.
More recently, the Commission on Public Service Pensions specifically addressed the issue of the pensionability of allowances, including the MSA, and the consequences for public service pensioners generally in its final report which was published in January 2001. However, having considered the arguments advanced by the groups affected, together with long-standing public service pensions policy in that context and the substantial cost implications involved, the Commission did not recommend any increase for the pensioners concerned. No change in existing policy on this matter has been authorised.
I should say that the Commission, whose report is the first comprehensive examination of public service pension arrangements since the foundation of the State, was an independent body. It had invited submissions from interested parties through an advertisement in the national press in September 1996 and I understand that groups representative of military pensioners were among those who made submissions and were met by the Commission.
