REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON REMUNERATION AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE IN THE DEFENCE FORCES 31 July 1990 Report of the Commission on Remuneration and Conditions of Service in the Defence Forces Table of Contents PagePage Terms of Reference xi Procedure and Acknowledgements xiii Preface 1 Chapter 1 — Introduction Background 12 Role and Defence policy 17 Military structures, organisation and deployment 18 Integration of military and civil service structures 19 Devolved responsibility 21 Further progress 23 Conclusion 25 Chapter 2 — Manpower and Personnel Introduction 27 Officer promotion 27 Strength and Establishment 33 Hours of work 36 Recruitment 39 Career structure of enlisted personnel 40 Personnel management section 42 Annual confidential reports 43 Communications, media and public relations 44 Education and training 46 Chapter 3 — Pay Introduction 49 Composition of Defences Forces pay 49 History of Defence Forces pay 52 Inter-Departmental Committee on Defence Forces Pay, Allowances and Conditions 54 Claims: Privates Team 56 NCOs Team 58 Officers Team 59 Military Service Allowance 60 General Approach 62 Application of criteria and conclusions: Benchmark ranks 63 Pay of General Staff and Brigadier Generals 64 Internal relativities 64 Recruitment and retention 65 Morale and motivation 66 Remuneration and non-pay benefits 66 The ''low pay" issue 67 Comparisons 68 Military Service Allowance 71 Recommendations on regimental pay and MSA 72 Chapter 4 — Allowances Main Security Allowances: Security Duty Allowance 78 Border Duty Allowance 80 Prison Allowance 81 Army Ranger Wing allowance 82 Other Allowances Claimed: Rent Allowance 82 Maintenance of Essential Services Allowance 83 Instructors Allowance 84 Stand-by Allowance 84 Language Proficiency Allowance 85 Gaeltacht Allowance 85 Dual Responsibility Allowance 86 Substitution Allowance 86 Band Allowance 87 Grooms Equitation Allowance 87 Fire Protection Pay 87 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Duty Allowance 88 Reimbursement Allowances: Separation Allowance 89 Course Allowance 90 Change of Station Allowance 91 Uniform Allowances 92 Telephone Allowance 94 Outpost Allowance 94 Common Rate of Subsistence 95 Mileage 95 FCA Allowance 96 Implementation and Future Review 97 Chapter 5 — Conditions Introduction 98 Accommodation 98 Rations 103 Privates messes 105 NCOs messes 105 Annual leave 106 Career breaks 107 Medical facilities 107 Sick leave 110 Welfare funds and counselling service 110 Credit union 112 Free travel 112 Administration of pay 112 Grievance procedures 115 Deductions for barrack damages, building damages and kit deficiencies 117 Defences Forces legal procedures 118 Defence Force Regulations Committee 119 Implementation 120 Chapter 6 — Professional and Technical Pay Special Service Officers: Background 121 Claims 122 Conclusions and recommendations 124 Consultant Specialists 127 Officer-in-charge of a military hospital 128 Promotion 128 Membership fees of professional organisations 129 Army Nursing Service 130 Technical Pay for NCOs and Privates: Background 132 Claims 133 Conclusions and recommendations 133 Pay of Apprentices: Background 134 Claim 135 Conclusions and recommendations 135 Conditions of Service 136 Implementation 137 Chapter 7 — The Naval Service Background 138 Pay and Allowances: Naval pay 139 Additional payments for Naval Service Officers 139 Patrol Duty Allowance 142 In-Charge Allowance 143 Diving Allowance 144 Conditions of Service: Annual leave 145 Accommodation aboard ship 146 Rations 146 Structure 147 Implementation 147 Chapter 8 — The Air Corps Background 148 Recruitment and retention: Claims 149 Conclusions 151 Additional Payments: Flying pay 155 Additional pay for air traffic control personnel 158 Air Station Duty Allowance 159 On-call Allowance 160 Conditions of Service: Service risk insurance loading 160 Financial undertakings 161 Promotion 161 Structure 162 Implementation 163 Chapter 9 — Overseas Service Background 164 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL): Current rates of UNIFIL Allowance 165 Claims 166 Cost of UNIFIL operation 166 Revised rates of UNIFIL Allowance 167 Leave 167 Charges for additional equipment 168 Repatriation 169 Visits by next of kin 169 Validity of life assurance policies 169 Subsistence 170 Communications 170 Duty free allowances 171 Humanitarian Aid 171 Selection for overseas service 171 Other issues 172 Other UN Missions: UNTSO (Observer Group Lebanon) 172 UNFICYP (Cyprus) 172 Other Missions 173 Implementation 173 Chapter 10 — Superannuation and Related Matters Current Arrangements: General 174 Non-commissioned ranks 174 Commissioned ranks 175 Reckonable earnings 176 Other features of the schemes 177 Claims: Reckonable earnings 177 Pension benefits 177 Gratuities 178 Other issues 178 Commission's Approach 178 Conclusions 179 Compensation for injuries 184 Discharge by Purchase 185 Extension of Service Gratuities 187 Extension of Service and Pre-discharge Leave 188 Chapter 11 — Summary of Recommendations 190 Appendices Appendix 1 — List of Submissions 223 Appendix 2 — Schedule of visits made by the Commission. 225 Appendix 3 — Role, Structure and Strength of the Defence Forces: 226 Duties and Responsibilities of the Army 228 Specialist Corps 229 Strength 231 Appendix 4 — Current rates of regimental pay for Army ranks 235 Appendix 5 — Examples of actual earnings 238 Appendix 6 — History of Defence Forces 241 Appendix 7 — Current and proposed rates of remuneration 259 Appendix 8 — New Ration Scale 262 Appendix 9 — Defence Forces Insurance Schemes: CAFNBO 266 CAOGA 267 Appendix 10 — Professional pay /numbers of Special Service 269 Officers Appendix 11 — Revised remuneration of Special Service Officers 272 Appendix 12 — Technician Groups 277 Appendix 13 — The Naval Service: Role 280 Shore-Based Services 281 Naval Service Branches 282 Operations and Patrols 282 Appendix 14 — The Air Corps: Role 286 Changes in duties 1959 — 1989 286 Retention of Air Corps Officers 288 Appendix 15 — Overseas Service: Current Commitments 293 United Nations Missions 293 UNIFIL: Financial Arrangements 296 Rates of Overseas Allowance for UN Missions other than UNIFIL 297 Death Benefits 298 Selection for Overseas Service 299 Appendix 16 — Superannuation: Additional increment for Service in excess of service > 21 years 301 Spouses' and Children's Scheme 302 Appendix 17 — Rates of Discharge by Purchase 304 Terms of Reference To carry out a major review of the remuneration and conditions of service of the Defence Forces having regard to their separate and distinct role and organisation and to make recommendations. Procedure 1. The Commission was established on 27 July 1989 with the following terms of reference: "To carry out a major review of the remuneration and conditions of service of the Defence Forces having regard to their separate and distinct role and organisation and to make recommendations." 2. Advertisements were placed in five daily morning newspapers on 10 August 1989 and in An Cosantóir, inviting submissions from interested persons or organisations in relation to the matters covered by the terms of reference. Parties wishing to make submissions were invited to do so not later than 30 September 1989. 3. In the press release on the establishment of the Commission it was also announced that "After consultation with the Chief of Staff, the Government have requested him to appoint, three teams, one for Privates, one for NCOs and one for Officers. Each team will have responsibility to prepare and present the case on behalf of their particular group and the team will include a member of that group." 4. It was also announced that the three Teams would be given access to expert advice in the industrial relations field in the presentation of their claims. 5. At an early stage in the Commission's deliberations, in September 1989, initial exploratory meetings were held with the General Staff and the three Teams. Each Team comprised six representatives of the relevant ranks (officers, non-commissioned officers and privates) plus three officers from the Planning and Research Section of the Defence Forces appointed by the Chief of Staff to assist the Teams in making their submissions. At the initial meetings the Teams explained that the members other than the Planning and Research Section officers had been elected by their colleagues as representatives of the four Army Commands, the Air Corps and the Naval Service. 6. The purpose of the Commission's initial meetings with the Teams was to allow an exchange of views on the Commission's approach and on how its examination might best proceed. The Commission emphasised the importance of presenting it with a full and frank picture of the situation as the Teams saw it. The Teams confirmed that they felt entirely at liberty to express freely their views within the Team structure. 7. During the initial meetings the Teams explained that, given the extent and range of the issues involved, they would be unable to meet the deadline for receipt of submissions. At their request the Commission agreed to extend the deadline for receipt of submissions to 15 November 1989. 8. The Commission received 215 written submissions in total; these included submissions from the Teams, the Departments of Defence and Finance, the General Staff, specific groups and branches within the Defence Forces, the Organisation of National Ex- Servicemen and Women, the National Army Spouses' Association, various professional organisations and associations, serving members of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, retired members of the Defence