76 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Justice his views on whether it is equitable that members, and the widows of members of the Garda Síochána who retired before 1 October 1982 are denied a pension incorporating a rent allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

78 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Justice if, in respect of the Garda Arbitration Board Report No. 15, he has made a decision to implement the recommendations of that report which would, inter alia, provide that a number of allowances paid to serving members of the Garda Síochána will be included in the basic salary for the purpose of reckoning pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

83 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Justice whether he will fully implement the Arbitrator's Report on the Pensionability of Garda Síochána Allowances; if not, the reason therefore; and his views on whether the loss of a rent allowance seriously impairs the living standards of retired members of the force or their widows.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 76, 78 and 83 together.

The position is that the Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors referred a claim to arbitration to have a number of allowances which are paid to members of the force made pensionable. The arbitrator recommended that some of those allowances — including rent allowance — should be made pensionable with effect from 1 October 1982. The recommendations contained in the Garda Arbitration Bopard Report No. 15 have been fully implemented.

The Garda Pensioners' Association subsequently asked to have the benefits of the recommendation concerning rent allowance applied to their members who retired before 1 October, 1982. That association was informed on 2 August, 1984 that, because of the very considerable additional costs involved and the critical state of the Exchequer finances, the recommendation could not be applied to those members. There are no proposals to change that decision.