asked the Minister for Defence the current rates of pay for the various ranks in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

23.

asked the Minister for Defence the average wage of an Army private; the way in which this compares with the average industrial wage; the measures, if any, which are being taken to assist the plight of low paid members of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

28.

asked the Minister for Defence the current rate of pay for corporals, both married and single, in the Army; and the average rent accommodation cost per individual or per family.

29.

asked the Minister for Defence if the review body currently looking at all aspects of Army activity will address the problem of low pay in many of the Army ranks; and if his attention has been drawn to the discontent over this issue.

(Limerick West): I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 23, 28 and 29 together.

The details in regard to rates of pay and deductions for accommodation are in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report.

The pay of the Defence Forces is linked to the pay of civil servants and increases in the pay of civil servants have traditionally been paid to the Defence Forces. A separate examination of pay rates in the context of the Defence review is not contemplated.

STATEMENT

1. Rates of Pay

(a) Officers

The current rates of pay (including military service allowance which is payable to the ranks of Second-Lieutenant. Lieutenant and Captain) of cadets and officers are as follows:—

(b) Non-Commmisioned Officers and Privates

The current rates of pay (including Military Service Allowance) of non-commissioned Officers and Privates are as follows:—

The foregoing rates do not include allowances, such as Border Duty Allowances or Security Duty Allowances.

2. The average industrial wage is £199.41. This figure is inclusive of overtime and productivity payments.

3. Charges for Accommodation (Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates)

—Single Quarters £0.37 per day.

—Married Quarters

The current charges are as follows:—

(a) Quarters Erected Prior to 1954

£1.55 per week for a one bedroomed house.

£2.28 per week for a two bedroomed house.

£3.07 per week for a house with more than two bedrooms.

(b) Quarters Erected since 1954

The current charges for soldiers' married quarters erected since 1954 are as follows:—

This is a great bone of contention, as the Minister will be aware. I am sure the Minister has seen the many letters in our national newspapers about the poor level of remuneration paid to members of the Defence Forces. The matter has come to a head in the last six months after members of the Defence Forces stood in gallantly on behalf of the civil power in the disputes involving firemen and prison officers. I understand that the differences in the rates of pay of fire officers and prison officers, on the one hand, and of members of the Defence Forces is alarming. It appears that there is a sea of difference between their rates of pay. That will not lead to content in the Army. In reviewing his policy the Minister should do something about the remuneration of the lower grades in the Army. We will not have happy members in our Defence Forces if there is a great difference between their remuneration and that of people in like occupations.

(Limerick West): I am not in a position to comment on employees of other Departments. I will not comment on the differentials but I must point out to the Deputy that it was not today nor yesterday that they arose.

They are widening.

(Limerick West): They are not widening. Under the terms of the agreement on pay in the public service the pay of all ranks in the Defence Forces was increased with effect from 1 January 1988 by 3 per cent on the first £120 of basic weekly pay and by 2 per cent on any amount of basic weekly pay over £120, subject to a minimum increase of £4 per week. Under the terms of the agreement similar increases are due at the beginning of 1989 and 1990.

The amount of the increase depends entirely on the base line. What is the basic rate of pay for an Army corporal?

(Limerick West): The basic pay was there in the Deputy's time, too.

What is it now?

(Limerick West): The average pay of a private is £173.84 per week, excluding special allowances.

What is the starting pay, not the average pay?

(Limerick West): When a recruit is taken in for training he is paid £118 per week. At the end of the three-months training period the average pay is £173.84. If account is taken of Border and other security duty allowances the pay is £183.46. That is the average pay of a private. The average pay of NCOs is £189.06 per week and if account is taken of Border duty and security duty allowances it is £198.68 per week.

That is an average figure, which means that some are getting more and some are getting less. The gap that is seen to be there between those types of recruits and people in other services is leading to a great deal of unrest which has been particularly manifest in the past six months. I cannot understand why the Minister will not allow the whole question of pay to be looked at by the review committee, which he has described as all-embracing.

(Limerick West): That does not arise. Pay is a different matter which was not included in the terms of reference of the review committee. It is considered in conjunction with pay for other members of the public service.

That disposes of Questions for today.

I wish to raise on the Adjournment the issue of the privatisation of the school transport system in four counties as suggested by the Minister for Education.

I will communicate with the Deputy.