Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. At the recent Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, conference, similar concerns to those the Deputy has raised were raised with me in speeches by the president and the general secretary and also in a private capacity in one of the meetings I had with members of RACO. I took their concerns on board. I spoke to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, specifically on this issue. I am aware that members of my Department and members of the representative association, RACO, had meetings with officials from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform specifically on this issue in which they raised their concerns. The Deputy is aware that this does not immediately affect any person who retires post-2013 but the officials from both the Department of Defence and RACO met with officials from the Department of Public Expenditure Reform specifically on this issue after I approached the Minister, Deputy Donohoe's Department on this matter.

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