The Department of Defence has committed itself to paying 18 Air Corps pilots £840,000 under a scheme aimed at holding on to its most experienced air crew despite the fact that some have flown an average of just two hours a month this year.
The low flying hours were among the reasons the Department abandoned the scheme during the summer.
The loyalty bonus programme was started in 1997 in an attempt to halt the haemorrhage of experienced pilots, who were doubling their salaries by joining commercial airlines.
Those who were out of contract were offered the option of a three- or five-year contract worth £30,000 or £55,000 respectively. The 18 existing contracts will be honoured, but no new contracts will be offered.
The Department was conscious of the need to preserve the pool of experienced pilots to fly the Government Gulfstream IV jet and Casa, Dauphin, Beechcraft, Marchetti and Gazelle aircraft.
The scheme has eased the exodus, with 10 pilots retiring in 1997, 12 in 1998 and just five this year. The Department now believes the changed circumstances mean the loyalty payments are no longer required.
Department officials are also angry that the scheme has not been used to full effect by Air Corps management. In fact, Department sources suggested yesterday that the low flying times of some pilots undermined the purpose of the expenditure and indicated that the loyalty scheme was providing little benefit.
The highest monthly average flying time for any of the pilots was 24.58 hours, according to Department of Defence figures. The 18 pilots claiming the loyalty money included an officer on overseas duty, and two more undertaking a nine-month training course at the Curragh.
Defence Forces sources believe the scheme was ill conceived because the pilots who did the most flying were within contract.
The contract offered by the Department of Defence in return for the loyalty payments did not include minimum flying hours.