Defence Forces members to get allowance for pre-mission quarantining

Minister of Defence Simon Coveney at a visit to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, Co Dublin, recently. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

The Government is to pay an allowance to troops to compensate them for having to quarantine for two weeks in army camps prior to departing on overseas peacekeeping missions.

The move had been called for by both military representative associations — RACO for officers and PDForra for enlisted personnel — who said this added up to an extension of their missions and they should therefore be paid the Armed Peace Support Allowance (APSA).