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

In the first instance, members of the Defence Forces benefit, as does every other public sector worker, from the most recent pay agreement. Everybody’s take-home pay is increasing this year across the public sector. We must first wait for the commission to report at the end of the year. The Government has to then consider these recommendations and no doubt we also will have a debate in this House on them and we will make a decision then on the back of that. One commitment we have made, separate to those of the commission but I suspect that its recommendations will be consistent with this, is a commitment in the programme for Government to set up an independent pay body to assess pay issues across the Defence Forces because its members are in a unique category of service. That is justified and is also the case in many other countries where there is a separate pay review body for serving personnel.

Deputy Bríd Smith has raised a number of issues and she quotes both RACO and PDFORRA. As it happens, those organisations have very different perspectives on ICTU affiliation and the setting up of an independent pay body and there is not a uniform view. Different people have different perspectives and I am trying to take account of both. I have told PDFORRA that I have not ruled out ICTU affiliation. While I have some concerns about it, I am committed to setting up an independent pay review body, as is the Government, as can be seen in the programme for Government. That is the right course of action and is also what I understand RACO supports and was looking for. This is an ongoing discussion to try to get this right. The commission is looking at international best practice on pay structures within the Defence Forces as to allowances and how they can be used appropriately to reward service in the Defence Forces and I look forward to the recommendations that will come back in that space.

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