Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Incidentally, Deputy Ó Fearghaíl or Sinn Féin - I cannot remember which - raised an issue regarding pay on Question Time. There is an ongoing assessment under way with regard to some of the pay and allowances within the Defence Forces. Its purpose is to assess whether they are at appropriate levels and obviously, when those assessments are finalised, I will make the decisions that are appropriate and consistent with them. For the moment, however, like so many other sectors of the public sector, pay agreements have been signed up to by which the Defence Forces abide. This is what determines pay levels within the Defence Forces.