Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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248. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if a general pay increase and-or pay restoration is planned for Army rangers; the details on this matter; if there are payments of increases and-or restoration of payments outstanding for Army rangers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49601/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The rates of remuneration and conditions of employment in the Defence Forces are set by reference to relative levels of pay across the various parts of the public sector. The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Acts of 2009-2015 and the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2018 (the Lansdowne Road Agreement) define current pay policy for Public Servants and members of the Permanent Defence Force.

The Defence Forces have received the benefits of collective agreements in the past and it is intended that future remuneration of Defence Forces personnel will continue to be dealt with within this process.

Members of the ARW have received the general increases in pay provided to all members of the Permanent Defence Force under the terms of the Lansdowne Road Agreement. Should the Permanent Defence Force Representative Associations sign up the extension of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, they will also benefit from the increases contained therein.

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. Having regard to commitments made under pay agreements, members of the Permanent Defence Force can make representations in relation to their pay and conditions of service through their representative bodies. Where agreement is not reached it is open to both official and representative sides to refer the matter to an Adjudicator or an Arbitration Board to settle the matter. There are a number of outstanding Adjudication findings, across the Public Service, which cannot be implemented at this time having regard to the provisions of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009-2015. This includes the adjudication on an increase in the Army Ranger Wing (ARW) allowance.

Paragraph 5.21 of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020, provides that the parties will commit to entering into a process to conclude by end-September 2018, which will involve engagement in relation to an appropriate, time-bound process for addressing any outstanding adjudications, having due regard to the question of their continued validity and cost implications. The review mechanism is the subject of ongoing consideration in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.