Mr. P. J. Stone:

On the rent allowance, the Conroy commission, the first commission to look at the pay and conditions of the Garda Síochána in the history of the State, inextricably linked the rent allowance to pay and since that commission, it has formed a part of pay. It carries with it normal round increases when there are increases of pay but to use the terrible phrase "benchmarking", it did not bring with it the 5% awarded to my rank under benchmarking. Rent allowance did not increase at that time.