Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I am very open to the idea of a specialist pay review. I said that to the Deputy on a previous occasion. We will examine that in the context of the next national pay agreement, along with the workforce plan. The Deputy put forward a set of challenges as to why people sometimes leave parts of the public service. I put forward a different set of reasons. I referred to full employment, a vibrant private sector and foreign direct investment, which provide a huge opportunity for people with skills to work in a variety of different areas.

On the broader issue of pay, we cannot say it enough to people considering joining the Defence Forces that we should debunk some of the myths. I am not referring to myths put forward by anybody here, but recruit pay in the Defence Forces on completion of training, which takes around 24 weeks, now starts at €41,880. A school-leaver cadet on commissioning starts at just over €45,000, rising to over €51,000 after two years. Where a graduate joins, the pay rate on commission begins at over €51,000. Challenges undoubtedly remain, but we are now seeing a record level of expenditure and pay because the personnel in Oglaigh na hÉireann are our best assets.

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