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

As the Deputy is aware, the Commission on the Defence Forces has undertaken a significant body of work encompassing wide-ranging terms of reference, including an examination of the evolution of remuneration systems and structures currently in place in the Defence Forces. The report makes a number of recommendations in this regard, including on pay structures, pay review, pay bargaining and ICTU. These recommendations are significant and require detailed consideration. In regard to the ICTU recommendation, the Deputy will be aware that I recently provided my consent for the temporary associate membership of ICTU for the purpose of engagement in national pay negotiations.

It is worth noting also that the commission observed that much of the commentary surrounding issues of pay in the Defence Forces does not seem to fully reflect the totality of the remuneration package and it believes that this needs to be better communicated. A recently developed infographic on the benefits of a career in the Defence Forces aims to address this. It sets out, for example, that a graduate cadet, on commissioning, will receive €43,630 per annum; a school leaver cadet, on commissioning, will receive €38,601 per annum; and a recruit, on completion of 26 weeks training, will receive €30,152 per annum. I have detailed rates of pay across all ranks, which I will happily provide to the Deputy, although I suspect, given his background, he is more than familiar with those rates.

Clearly any implementation of the report’s recommendations requires careful consideration and in some critical aspects an interdepartmental discussion. Since its publication, I have engaged in extensive consultation with my ministerial colleagues and with a range of other stakeholders, including representative associations. I will shortly revert to the Government with a proposed response to the commission's recommendations and a high-level action plan.  This is a complex process dependent on securing Cabinet agreement on the recommendations. The implementation process will, and can only, follow that.

In terms of pay more generally the Government remains fully committed to addressing pay and conditions in the Defence Forces where issues arise and in the context of national pay agreements. The current public service pay agreement provides for increases in pay and allowances to all public servants, including members of the Defence Forces, and the Deputy is aware that negotiations have been ongoing on an extension to this agreement. I will come back to him with more detail.

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