Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The saving under subhead A3, wound and disability pension allowances and gratuities to or in respect of former members of the Defence Forces, is €529,000. This arises due to lower than expected numbers of new pension awards coming on stream in 2019. Under subhead A4, payments to spouses of deceased veterans of the War of Independence, a saving of €21,000 arose. This is a consequence of the reducing number of widows of Old IRA veterans, with only 34 now in receipt of the pension. There is a saving of €150,000 in respect of compensation payments under subhead A5, which concern statutory lump sums for injury or death in UN service. There were no payments during 2019. We hope there will always be a saving under that subhead as denoting the absence of any death overseas on UN duty. Subhead A6, medical appliances and travelling and incidental expenses, gives a saving of €50,000. The miscellaneous items relate mainly to people on disability pensions.

At the start of the year, departmental officials look at the number of people who will have to retire during the course of the year on age grounds and the average of the numbers, year on year, leaving the Defence Forces before retirement age, on the basis of which they try to make a prediction. As I said, we have full employment.

There are many opportunities for people. While I would like the figure to be lower, we are working towards the high-level implementation plan through the independent pay commission, specifically in and around retention.