John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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311. To ask the Minister for Defence if the agreement to reimburse 10% of basic salary to contract soldiers will be honoured; if the payments will be backdated to 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40202/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Nowhere in the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 – 2016, ‘The Haddington Road Agreement’ is there a promise to pay an extra 10% to any public servant. I am assuming that the Deputy is referring to Paragraph 2.31 of that Agreement which provides “that in order to address the imbalance between those who entered the Public Service since 2011 and those who entered before that date, revised incremental salary scales shall be prepared for same grade entrants to each public service sector as necessary to incorporate the revision of salary scales introduced by Government Decision in January 2011.”

On the basis of guidelines issued centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform, for incorporating the 1st January 2011 and 1st January 2010 public service recruitment pay scales, discussions were undertaken with both Representative Associations for the Permanent Defence Force. Agreement was reached on revised integrated pay scales for new entrants applicable to the Defence Forces. The revised scales will have retrospective effect to 1st November 2013, which is the agreed date for applicability across all sectors of the Public Service.

The technical work to give effect to the revised incorporated scales is now underway and testing of the software adjustments required to the payroll systems is close to finalisation. My Department is keeping the Representative Associations fully apprised of progress in this regard. Subject to no unforeseen problems arising during the testing phase, it is envisaged that implementation of the new scales will take effect in the next couple of weeks, including the payment of any arrears that have accrued to the personnel affected.

I wish to assure the Deputy that everything is being done to progress this work in an efficient and effective fashion and that no member of the Defence Forces will suffer any financial loss arising out of the implementation of this element of the Haddington Road Agreement. Subject

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