Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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107. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to address the pay and conditions of serving members of the Defence Forces in view of the fact that the Defence Forces have lost a considerable number of highly trained and experienced personnel due to low pay and general conditions. [39075/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Given the unique and demanding nature of military life, there is understandably a relatively high level of turnover among Defence Forces personnel. This is not new and the Defence Forces have always had a level of turnover that far exceeds other areas of the public service. In order to balance personnel turnover there is ongoing recruitment at both enlisted and officer level. This includes general service recruits, apprentices, cadets and direct entry officers.

Defence Forces pay is increasing in accordance with public sector pay agreements. The focus of these increases is weighted in favour of those on lower pay. Members of the Permanent Defence Force have received the pay increases due under the Lansdowne Road Agreement.

In addition in 2017, following negotiations with PDFORRA improved pay scales were implemented for general service recruits and privates, who joined the Permanent Defence Force post 1 January 2013.

New entrants to the Defence Forces will also benefit from the measures which were recently announced in relation to amendments to the pay scales for new entrant public servants recruited since January 2011.

The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 provides for increases in pay ranging from 6.2% to 7.4% over the lifetime of the Agreement. The first increase due from 1 January 2018 has been paid to Permanent Defence Force personnel and a second increase is due to be applied from 1 October 2018. Further increases are scheduled for 2019 and 2020.

By the end of the current Public Service Pay agreement (end 2020), the pay of all public servants (including members of the Defence Forces), earning under €70,000 per annum, will be restored to pre FEMPI levels. The restoration of the 5% reduction to allowances cut under FEMPI is also scheduled in the agreement.

The Public Service Pay Commission was established to provide objective advice to Government in relation to Public Service remuneration policy. In 2017, under my direction, the Department of Defence brought issues of recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces to the attention of the Public Sector Pay Commission (PSPC). As a direct result of that initiative the PSPC is now beginning an in-depth evidence based examination of those issues.

The Department of Defence has provided data as requested by the PSPC for consideration. The Commission's work is ongoing.