Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

It is quite generous. My predecessor, Deputy Michael Smith, made an arrangement that a commercial flight costing €1,200 would be given to people serving in Liberia for €500. That €500 would be deducted from their overseas allowance, which accumulates over the six month period they are there. That is a generous arrangement. When I was in Letterkenny last week, I took the opportunity to speak on an individual basis to various members of PDFORRA about the gripes they had. Not one person mentioned this as a difficulty. I have spoken to the chief of staff about the matter. Army personnel tell me that if someone wants to avail of this arrangement and wants to do it in a less painful manner, such as having the money deducted over a longer time, then the army is disposed to look favourably at arrangements such as this.

With regard to the second part of the question, I do not have to justify a situation whereby people are asked to purchase their own mosquito nets. The simple fact is that they are not asked to do so. I am afraid Deputy Sherlock, whom I thank for his kind words, is misinformed in that regard. The information available to me is that those things are supplied to the troops.

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