Kildare Senator: ‘Back pay for Army Ranger Wing should be implemented without delay’

A Senator based in County Kildare has called for back pay for the Army Ranger Wing to be implemented without delay.

Fianna Fáil Senator Fiona O’Loughlin has said that she welcomes the long-awaited progress on the Army Ranger Wing allowances.

The Newbridge politician said: "I have long campaigned for an increase in the pay for members of our Defence Forces and for better conditions for them and their families... Finally, the Army Ranger Wing have won their battle for better allowances.

"These are the elite military forces in our state, and I want to commend PDFORRA, especially Mark Keane, Ger Guinan and all involved."

She continued: "This has been a long fight, PDFORRA secured an arbitration recommendation in 2010 to get significant improvements to allowances for the troops because of the unique requirements of their job, but this was halted due to the crash and never returned to.

Senator Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fáil).

"I want to commend An Tánaiste Micheál Martin for delivering for our Army Rangers."

"Our Army Ranger Wing have served us diligently abroad in Afghanistan and Chad, and have for years received significantly less in allowances than elite forces in other countries."

"The new adjudication will increase the ARW special allowance by slightly more than €200 per month, backdated to October 2021: this represents an increase of around 27 per cent in their special allowance."

Senator O'Loughlin concluded: "I want to see this implemented without delay."

In related news, Senator O'Loughlin last week welcomed the news that the government had allocated almost €50,000 in funding to forest parks and walking trails in Kildare.