asked the Minister for Defence the payments this country receives from the United Nations in respect of Irish participation in UNIFIL; the portion of this money which is passed on to the troops in terms of additional allowances; if he will give the allowances paid to Irish troops with UNIFIL over and above their normal pay; the way in which these allowances compare with those paid to soldiers of other contingents in UNIFIL; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

(Limerick West): The current rate of reimbursement by the United Nations in respect of UNIFIL troop costs is $600 per man-month against the envisaged figure of $1,048. While I have no information as to the level of overseas allowance paid to their contingents by other members of UNIFIL, I understand that the rate of reimbursement by the United Nations is the same for all contingents. The rate of reimbursement is expected to amount to £3.7 million in 1988. The under-payments by the United Nations arise from a shortfall in the UNIFIL fund which is due to the nonpayment by certain UN member states of their assessed contribution to the fund.

Daily rates of overseas allowance paid by my Department in respect of service with UNIFIL range from £14.05 to £22.84. These rates are not related to receipts from the United Nations and are expected to amount to £4.3 million in 1988.

In regard to the allowance, the Minister talks of £14.05 to £22.84, in the normal course, that would be close to allowances paid to those members if they were engaged in certain duties at home. I would like the Minister to confirm that. In view of all that has been said here today, will he or the Government or a committee look at the question of increasing the rates of reimbursement——

Please, Deputy.

That a Cheann Comhairle, relates entirely to this question.

I trust the Deputy is not adverting to an earlier question.

No. I am merely asking whether the Minister has any proposals to increase the rate of reimbursement out of the allowance from UNIFIL to the Minister for the services rendered by Irish soldiers abroad.

(Limerick West): The allowances being paid are allowances decided by the UN. I do not understand the Deputy's question. Reimbursements to whom? Is he talking about reimbursement from the UN?

Perhaps I might clarify that. The Minister and I are getting lost. Perhaps I might restate my question in simple terms. There is widespread dissatisfaction amongst Irish soldiers serving in UN forces when they compare what they are paid with what other soldiers from other countries are paid for the same duty.

We are having a statement from the Deputy.

That being the case, has the Minister any proposals to review and increase the rate of pay to soldiers from Ireland serving abroad with the UN in view of the large amounts of money that the Government are paid for their services?

That should be sufficient.

(Limerick West): There is in fact a net loss to the Exchequer of sending our troops abroad of about £0.8 million a year. The pay which is being paid to our members serving with the UN is the normal pay. The allowance, as I have already pointed out, is in addition to that and those are the allowances laid down by the UN.

Let me put one other brief question.

I am calling Deputy Bell now. Deputy McCartan has had a good innings.

Could the Minister explain to the House the manner in which these special allowances are arranged? Are they decided arbitrarily by the UN or are they decided in conjunction with the UN by the Department? What say, if any, has the Department of Defence in setting the levels of allowances?

(Limerick West): Of course the Department have ongoing talks with the UN but the final decision rests with the UN.

8.