Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this. It is an important issue given the overall situation and to the need to enhance retention and recruitment in the context of the Defence Forces. As the Deputy will know, a civil-military review of mandatory retirement ages and service limits of all ranks in the Permanent Defence Force has been conducted and the recommendations arising from the review and their impact on current pay and pensions are being considered by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. That consideration is ongoing. In December 2021, the Ministers for Defence and Public Expenditure and Reform both agreed that arrangements would be made to facilitate the extension of service limits of sergeants recruited to the Permanent Defence Force since 1994. I will not go through the rest of the note because it refers to those wonderful layers of complexity involved in resolving these issues. I could read all sorts of things into that. In short, I will talk to both Ministers. We need to get this expedited.

I have no doubt that there are some complexities because there are certain pension entitlements at the age of 50. Obviously, people going beyond that age has implications and there are relativities and all of that. I am told that the complexity surrounding any extension of service relates to the pension entitlements associated with the mandatory retirement age limits. What the Deputy is hearing may relate to that. We do not people to be disadvantaged by staying on beyond the age of 50. The Government certainly does not want that. I want to create incentives for people to stay beyond 50. In the modern era, it makes sense. We would then be in a position to retain their experience and expertise and reduce the brain drain from the Defence Forces. I will revert to the Deputy. I will talk to the Ministers about this.

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