Written answers
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Department of Defence
Defence Forces
Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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240. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the rationale for not paying flying pay to date to a person; and if he will examine a case file (details supplied) and expedite payment. [11648/25]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Payment of flying pay is provided for in Defence Force Regulation, S3 paragraph 19, as follows:
"A non-commissioned Officer or private, filling a vacancy in the establishment of the Air Corps or Air Support Company, Communications and Information Services Corps, in one the occupations, as set out below, and engaged on duties which require to be carried out in the air shall, receive flying pay".
Those aforementioned occupations, which attract this pay, are:
- Helicopter Crew Member
- Photographer
- Air Traffic Controller
- Artificer
- Radio Operator
- Radio/Radar Mechanic
- Flight Steward.
Such matters come within scope of the Conciliation and Arbitration (C&A) Scheme, for members of the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF). Any changes to the pay and allowances of serving Defence Forces personnel must take account of public pay policy parameters.
Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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241. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of persons not initially in receipt of flying pay who were subsequently awarded the payment following interventions of the court and or the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces, from 2015 to 2024 and to date in 2025. [11649/25]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Flying pay is provided for in Defence Force Regulations S3, as follows: -
A non-commissioned Officer or private, filling a vacancy in the establishment of the Air Corps or Air Support Company, Communications and Information Services Corps, in one the occupations, as set out below, and engaged on duties which require to be carried out in the air shall, receive flying pay.
Those aforementioned occupations, which attract this pay are:
- Helicopter Crew Member
- Photographer
- Air Traffic Controller
- Artificer
- Radio Operator
- Radio/Radar Mechanic
- Flight Steward.
Such matters come within scope of the Conciliation and Arbitration (C&A) Scheme, for members of the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF). Any changes to the pay and allowances of serving Defence Forces personnel must take account of public pay policy parameters.
In relation to interventions of the Court, as Minister for Defence, I cannot comment on cases that are currently before the courts, as this could prejudice proceedings. However, I can confirm that on foot of court proceedings three (3) personnel, who were not previously in receipt of Flying Pay, have now been awarded it since 2015.
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