Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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2105. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his views regarding concerns raised by the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers that their members were severely disadvantaged as a result of being excluded from the national level parallel process and Defence Forces conciliation and arbitration process in January 2017. [37935/17]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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2109. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the efforts made to deliver a transparent negotiation process through a clearly defined parallel structure and process for the Defence Forces representative associations during recent and future public service pay negotiations. [37939/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2105 and 2109 together.

Following the publication of the Report of the Public Service Pay Commission on 9 May 2017, the Government initiated negotiations on an extension to the Lansdowne Road Agreement ahead of Budget 2018 considerations.

Both RACO (Representative Association of Commissioned Officers) and PDFORRA ( Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association) were invited to the negotiations which were held under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). I am advised that both RACO and PDFORRA had equal standing with members of ICTU throughout the talks’ process. The issues raised by the Defence Forces Representative Associations were considered in tandem with those raised by other public sector representative associations and trade unions.

The Conciliation and Arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) provides a formal mechanism for the PDF Representative Associations, RACO and PDFORRA, to engage with the Official side. The purpose of the scheme is to provide a means for the determination of claims and proposals from the Associations relating to remuneration and conditions of service. Officials from my Department continue to work with the Representative Associations in a positive and collaborative process within the C and A Scheme to resolve issues.

As I have previously stated, I plan to initiate a review of the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force, with the review to commence before the end of 2017.