The Government has announced that an allowance paid to Naval Service personnel for time spent offshore is to be doubled after ten days at sea.
The Patrol Duty Allowance (PDA) is currently paid at just over €64 per day to all staff but, from 1 January, will be over €128 per day after the initial ten days of a voyage.
It is hoped that the measure will help stem the loss of staff from the Naval Service and make the job more attractive to new recruits, in turn boosting the ability of the naval service to have all of its ships in use rather than having some of them in dock, as is currently the case because of a lack of staff.
Announcing the move, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Mícheál Martin said that the initiative will provide "greater clarity on the overall package" available to Naval Service personnel and potential recruits.
"The challenges facing the Naval Service and the wider organisation are well documented, but the commitment, courage and excellence of our serving members is clear, as recently demonstrated in the recent detention of the cargo vessel MV Matthew," he said.
"This is part of our ongoing investment in our Defence Forces; in its people, infrastructure, capabilities and culture."
According to the Department of Defence, the changes will simplify the existing Naval Service measures by consolidating the daily allowance and the sea-going commitment scheme into one allowance.
This is in line with the Commission on Defence Forces recommendation to replace existing sea-going allowances with less complex measures.
The PDA is payable to all personnel serving aboard a ship, for each day spent on patrol.
News of the doubling of part of the PDA has been welcomed by members of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO), which represents commissioned officers across all branches of the Defence Forces, who are holding their delegate conference in Co Carlow.
