Department of Defence

Under the normal course of C&A business, RACO sought confirmation, that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) was requested by the Department of Defence (DOD) to pay the Military Service Allowance (MSA) to Cadets, and that a refusal was received by DoD in writing. In doing so, RACO sought a written copy of this refusal. In response, DOD advised RACO to “please make that request through the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act”. Directing this matter to a FOI provisions, suggests that a final decision and determination has been made by DOD and DPER not to pay MSA to Cadets who have had their cadetship suspended, induction T&Cs unilaterally altered and directed to take on additional tasking’s on behalf of the Health Service Executive and the State. Accordingly, as a final determination has been made on this matter and under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts (1997 – 2014), RACO is seeking copies of all correspondence and records from 01 Feb 2020 to date, between the DOD and DPER regarding the decision not to pay MSA to Cadets redeployed away from their cadetship training and instead required to perform other tasking’s not referred to in the “Terms & Conditions and General Information Regarding Officer Cadetships in the Defence Forces 2019”.