Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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35. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he has considered the reintroduction of the fixed period promotion and service commitment scheme which were successful initiatives up to their withdrawal by his Department in 2013.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44023/17]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Given the major shortfalls emerging in the Defence Forces at certain grades, will the Minister of State consider the reintroduction of at least one mechanism that worked in the past, namely, the fixed period promotion and service commitment scheme, which was done away with by the Department in 2013?

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Fixed period promotion in the Permanent Defence Force was a promotion which took place after a fixed period of time. It was part of the terms and conditions of specialist service officers such as engineers and doctors. The whole notion of fixed period promotions as an expectation or a right continuing for specialist personnel did not sit comfortably with, and was not in keeping with the principles, of merit-based promotion, which was one of the terms of the public service agreement 2010-2014. While experience matters in terms of specialist posts, time served is not necessarily the best indicator of suitability for promotion. Fixed period promotion did not recognise individual contribution or the extent and nature of the work that an individual had done.

In September 2015, the Department of Defence reached agreement with the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, which provided that the policy of fixed period promotion would no longer apply for future officers inducted as special service officers. However, they will be eligible to compete in merit-based promotion competitions. Negotiations are ongoing with PDFORRA regarding the retention of fixed period promotion for new entrant instrumentalists in the Defence Forces School of Music.

The service commitment scheme for pilot officers of the Air Corps was withdrawn in 2013. The recommendations of the working group on pilot retention, which reported in 2015, are being progressed by a joint civil military working group. The working group's report contained a number of recommendations ranging from increasing recruitment levels to examining the current terms and conditions of pilots. Work on the implementation of the group's recommendations is currently ongoing by both civil and military staff of the defence organisation.

A range of recruitment methods are being used, including direct entry competitions for specialist positions, and the scope to further expand direct entry is being considered. I have also directed civil and military colleagues to develop terms and conditions to allow former members of the Defence Forces with sought-after skills to return to service.

It should be noted that the Department of Defence, in conjunction with the Defence Forces, raised recruitment and retention issues as part of the submission to the Public Service Pay Commission. This is specifically referenced by the commission in paragraph 6.13 of the report.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Section 3 of the public service stability agreement 2018-2020 provides that the Public Service Pay Commission be requested to complete a comprehensive examination of underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention in those sectors and employment streams identified in the report of the Public Sector Pay Commission. In this context, the Department of Defence will be making a submission to the commission when the commission commences this phase of its work. 

Yesterday, my colleague, the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, updated Government on the next phase of work by the Commission. Following this update, the Government endorsed the terms of reference for the next phase of the Commission’s work. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, will shortly be meeting with the Commission to discuss this next exercise.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I understand what happened in the past but given the crisis at certain levels and in certain sections of the Defence Forces in terms of officers, particularly in certain key areas, surely the Minister of State will look again at reintroducing a system that worked and may help stop the flow of officers into the private sector through being either head hunted or believing there is no future for them in the Defence Forces. It does not sit comfortably with me or the public that key areas like the air traffic service are at breaking point. In fact, there are indications that a number of other captains in the air traffic service are due to leave and one is on maternity leave leading to a further shortfall which cannot be dealt with by people who have only just completed training given that additional training of four to five years required, which would mean that the shortfall is going to get bigger. Surely anything that might help plug that gap in our services should be addressed or at least looked at.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Section 3 of the public service stability agreement 2018-2020 provides that the Public Service Pay Commission be requested to complete a comprehensive examination of underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention in those sectors and employment streams identified in the report of the Public Sector Pay Commission. I would be the first to admit that there are a number of areas within the Defence Forces where there are major pinch points. The Deputy spoke about fixed term promotions. I can understand why they are there and why they are not suitable for the organisation. I am content that the Public Service Pay Commission and the public service stability agreement 2018-2020 will look at the areas of retention. The Deputy is right when he says that pilots and air traffic controllers constitute an issue for the Defence Forces as it does for many airlines. We have seen that in the public domain and the media over the past while. If I was to pick out pilots, I can assure the Deputy that there would be absolute war in other areas of the public service. It would be a case of us being asked, "Why pick out one area?". Therefore, it is up to the Public Service Pay Commission to look at the broad area across the board.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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It will be too late by the time the Public Service Pay Commission or anybody else produces a report into this and the report is considered to address serious shortfalls we have seen in terms of the ability of the Air Corps to carry out its duties. It is not just the Air Corps. Does the Minister of State not accept that the Defence Forces are totally different to the vast majority of the public service given that the compulsory retirement age in the Defence Forces is completely out of sync with the rest of the public service and that, therefore, the Minister of State needs to look at them separately and have different ways of addressing shortfalls? In this instance, I am suggesting that this might be one of them.

It might not be the solution to all problems of retention but it might be something that would help.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I have committed to reviewing all contracts and I have put a civil and administrative committee together to look at direct entry and re-entry into the organisation. Quite a number of people, including officers, from a range of areas who left the organisation now want to re-enter it. Those willing to return include those in explosive ordnance disposal and pilots. In common with other militaries, we must be mature enough to accept direct entry. The Naval Service does it, and does so very successfully, and I see no reason we should not examine it for the Army and Air Corps. There are issues in respect of direct entry and, more importantly, those who re-enter, such as whether they should return at the same level at which they exited. These are areas we must examine and, hopefully, the matter will be brought to conclusion shortly in talks between the civil and military personnel.