Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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146. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason Defence Forces Regulation A.11 paragraph 16 was altered; if he will engage with the representative organisations in contravention of paragraph 24(2) of Defence Forces Regulation S.6; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29516/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Defence Force Regulation A.11 provides for matters concerning leave in the Defence Forces. The recent amendment to Paragraph 16 increases to four working weeks from 19 days, the amount of carry over leave allowed to members of the Permanent Defence Force in circumstances where the member could not take annual leave due to being on certified sick leave, adoptive leave or maternity leave. This measure will bring procedures in such cases into line with the requirements of the Working Time Directive.  The Representative Associations were given notice of the amended Regulation.

Work is underway in both the Department of Defence and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in relation to the removal of the blanket exclusion of members of the Defence Forces from the scope of the Working Time Directive. The Department of Defence and the Defence Forces have undertaken significant work in examining the nature of the duties of the Defence Forces and how the Working Time Directive can be applied to the members of the Defence Forces.

As part of this process, my Department will engage through the Conciliation and Arbitration process with the Defence Forces Representative Associations, to discuss the application of the provisions of the Working Time Directive to the Defence Forces.