Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 February 2023
360. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if the allowance paid to serving members of the Defence Forces on duty in the Border counties is considered as pensionable income for retiring members of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8717/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI take it the Deputy is referring specifically to allowances paid to serving members who are engaged on security duties in the Border counties.
A specific Border Duty Allowance was introduced in January 1972. It is similar to Security Duty Allowance which is payable to Permanent Defence Force (PDF) personnel engaged on extended security duties in non-border areas. This includes for example, 24-hour duties undertaken in military installations and other locations, responding to Garda requests for explosives ordnance disposal as well as the provision of assistance to civil authorities e.g. flood relief.
Persons in receipt of Border Duty Allowance who perform any of the foregoing duties cannot receive Security Duty Allowance.
Under the established negotiation mechanism – the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for the PDF – payment of Border Duty Allowance to serving personnel has been eliminated for all new entrants to the PDF since February 2009. However the allowance continues to be retained on a ‘personal to holder’ basis for those personnel who were in receipt of it on the 3rd February 2009. The allowance is being phased out as current holders retire or leave the PDF.
The rules for the reckoning of pensionable allowances in the calculation of military retirement benefits vary depending on when the person first joined the PDF.
Specifically in relation to Border Duty Allowance, the allowance is only pensionable for enlisted personnel who joined the PDF on or after 1st April 2004 and before 4th February 2009.
In relation to Security Duty Allowance, this is also only pensionable for personnel who joined on or after 1st April 2004.
In accordance with the rules of the pension scheme there are also various criteria that must be complied with for pensionable allowances to be included in the calculation of a member’s retirement benefits.
