asked the Minister for Defence the reason the members of the Army School of Music have fared so poorly from the recent pay and conditions awards; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that their new group status is lower, relative to other groupings, than before 31 December 1988; if his attention has further been drawn to the importance of the Army bands at State, military and civilian engagements; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

(Limerick West): I do not accept the implication in the question. Members of the Army School of Music qualify on the same basis as other military personnel for the increases in line pay, military service allowance and other allowances which were announced by the Government in December 1988.

As regards the technician pay aspect, the inter-departmental committee on Defence Forces pay, allowances and conditions recommended in their report to Government a complete restructuring of the groups of trades and skills together with increases in the rates of technician pay. The creation of six new technician groups involved extensive rearrangement of the three former groups of trades and skills and the inclusion of new designations.

The increases in technician pay relevant to members of the Army School of Music are: £1.84 to £3.06 per week; £6.96 to £10.20 per week and £13.11 to £30.60 per week depending on the type of work undertaken.

These are in accordance with the rates recommended by the committee and which were accepted in full by the Government.