Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil did not do that. The party had the opportunity to do it a number of months ago as well.

Soldiers operate and work in a very different environment from An Garda Síochána and are assigned different roles and tasks. Jobs differ greatly across the public service and it can be difficult to make direct comparisons between various sectors across the full range of duties. Members of the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána fill different roles and have different terms and conditions of service and pay structures. The vast majority of military personnel and gardaí engage in duties on a day-to-day basis that are dissimilar. Defence Forces pay and allowances are set, among other things, by reference to, and in consideration of, relative levels of pay across a broad range of duties and roles across various sectors. It is important to note that the basic pay is just an element of the overall remuneration package for members of the PDF. In addition to the pay range, they have additional allowances, which respect the nature of the work they do.

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