Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

People who are entitled to the payment can claim it. Members of the Defence Forces know full well that if they are entitled to the family income supplement or working family payment they can claim it. The representative organisations will assist them in doing so, if necessary. Fewer than 270 members of the defence organisation, by which I mean the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces, are in receipt of the working family payment. I recently saw a document which shows that 20% of members of the Defence Forces are in receipt of the working family payment, which is less than 1% of the organisation. I agree this is not acceptable. The working family payment is in place for specific reasons. I have no doubt there are many people within other organisations that are in receipt of this payment. I will give an example. Taking a 23 year old man who joins the Defence Forces and has one, two or three children, it would be unfair to his peers if we were to pay him €40,000 per annum because he has children and at the same time pay a three star new recruit €27,000 per annum. The working family payment is in place to address the family circumstances of a person.

I suggest that Deputy Jack Chambers properly examine the document.