Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 413: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will change the circumstances in which retired military personnel can claim the military service allowance to incorporate those who retired prior to 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14088/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Arising from a recommendation made in 1990 by the Commission on Remuneration and Conditions of Service in the Defence Forces, the Gleeson commission, MSA was made pensionable in the case of personnel retiring on or after 1 August 1990. As I have previously indicated to the House, this approach was fully consistent with settled public service pensions policy which provides that the benefit of an allowance being made pensionable for serving personnel does not extend to existing pensioners.

More recently, the final report of the commission on public service pensions, which was published in January 2001, was considered and broadly accepted by Government. In that report, the commission specifically addressed the issue of the pensionability of allowances, including the MSA, and the consequences for public service pensioners generally. However, having considered the arguments advanced by the groups affected, together with long-standing public service pensions policy in that context and the substantial cost implications involved, the commission did not recommend any increase for the pensioners concerned. Aside from pre-August 1990 Defence Forces pensioners, the other groups affected include certain retired members of the Garda Síochána, the Prison Service and retired teachers. No change in existing policy on this matter has been authorised or is contemplated and, accordingly, there is no scope for departing from settled public service pensions policy in the case of MSA.