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

I answered a related Priority Question earlier and said we had made significant progress on this issue. Since 12 or 15 February, we have the result of third party arbitration on a final recommendation to the Government on how to proceed. I cannot publish the arbitration report until it has been considered fully by my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in respect of any cost consequence of the recommendations. As soon as this has been done, we will make the recommendations known and decisions on the back of them. There are many Defence Forces personnel who have been awaiting the outcome of this process for some time. They can now be reassured that there will be a final decision probably in the next two to three weeks. It is not going to be an outcome with which everyone will be happy, but it is a compromise that has resulted from the conciliation process and, subsequently, a third party arbitration process. I hope PDFORRA will accept the final outcome. We will certainly use the arbitration process as the basis for a final agreement that can bring clarity for everybody waiting for a result.

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