Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I announced this morning that the contingents will return home on Tuesday, 16 October. I took the decision this morning that personnel delayed in returning home will receive a €1,000ex gratia payment in recognition of the disruption caused. I announced that in recognition of what the families are going through. This was done before the Deputy raised the issue. I have spoken to some of the families, many of whom are from Wexford, and members of my party have contacted me about this issue in recent days, including Deputies Phelan and Heydon, and a number of people from Cork. I understand the families will suffer and they may have had holidays planned, but they will receive an ex gratia payment of €1,000.

The Deputy spoke about family income supplement. Fewer than 1% of members of the Defence Forces and staff of the Department of Defence are in receipt of the working family payment. That payment is provided for a reason. Staff across the public sector receive the payment, as do employees in the private sector. The Defence Forces and the Department of Defence are not alone in this respect; other people also receive the payment. The working family payment is provided to assist families.

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