THE savings in the Defence Forces' wages bill from early retirement in 1996 appears to have been set aside to buy a new Naval Service ship.
The budgetary break down of Defence expenditure shows a decrease in pay and allowances of around £7 million which coincides with the decision by more, than 500 soldiers to take voluntary early retirement (VFR) during the year.
While the salary bill fell, the budgeted expenditure on ships and naval stores for 1997 is put at £9.13 million, an 184 per cent increase on the 1996 budget.
It is anticipated that the additional £6 million in the naval budget will be used as an instalment a news ship to join the fleet's seven ageing ships.
The Naval Service has had its role increased in the past year with greater fishery protection, work and from January 1st, a statutory role in combatting drug trafficking. Officers above the rank of sergeant now have the power of search and arrest at sea under the 1994 Criminal Justice Bill.
There was almost no comment con Defence expenditure during "yesterday's debate in the Dail.
The Defence Forces are in the middle of a major re organisation, programme as Government implements the recommendations of a strategic management initiative (SMI) review. This has resulted in the reduction in the military from 13,000 to 11,500 as a result of voluntary redundancy. This is due to be achieved over the next two years.
Senior military figures hope that the money saved on pay from the early retirement scheme will be spent on equipment for the Army. Less than 10 per cent of the total Defence budget of £379 million is spent on military equipment. The vast bulk of the budget is spent on pay and salaries.