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

Deputy Clarke asked about reskilling promotions and so on in the Defence Forces. So far this year, there have been 419 promotions across all ranks in the Defence Forces. That is a higher number than for all of last year, for example, when it was 376. However, having said that the figure was 660 across all ranks in 2020. I just want to provide a sense that there are promotions and people are being moved around within the Defence Forces to try to fill those gaps.

Deputy Brady asked about post-1994 sergeants. It has been frustrating for me that it took as long as it did to resolve this issue. I can understand that it is not straightforward, particularly for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform because there is a concern over setting a precedent within other areas of the public sector and so on. I am glad that the issue has been resolved for now for this year and next year so that sergeants in the Defence Forces - I have spoken to a number of them personally - know they will not be required to retire at the end of the year. We should have been able to give them earlier notice but in any event we got it done in the last few weeks.

As I said, it was more complicated than one might think. It was less for the Defence Forces and more about making the case that the Defence Forces are different from other areas of the public sector. We resolved the post-1994 issue for all others apart from sergeants. It impacts about nine sergeants this year and a similar number again next year. It is a relatively small number but it is still important because the sergeants are such an essential linchpin within the Defence Forces in the role they play and the leadership they provide that if we had not managed to resolve this issue, it would have led to a significant morale issue. It would have been a much bigger impact than simply nine individuals, including some really great sergeants to whom I have spoken.

I will read the note on the sergeants so we have it on the record.

Last week, an interim arrangement was agreed with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform that will allow for the retention in service of sergeants in the Permanent Defence Force who are due to be retired on age grounds to the end of 2024, which means in the next two years. This means sergeants recruited since 1 January 1994 who would be due to retire on the basis of the mandatory retirement age this year and next will not be required to do so until the end of 2024. Nine sergeants recruited to the Permanent Defence Force on or after 1 January 1994 are 50 or will be 50 by the end of 2022. There will be another nine in 2023 and a further seven in 2024. The fast accrual pension terms will continue for those additional years.

The important issue here is that they are continuing on as before, as opposed to continuing on the basis of some alternative pension arrangement or no pension arrangement. It took us a while to get that agreed but I am glad to say it has been for the next couple of years