Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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18. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress on the Public Service Pay Commission as it relates to Defence Forces pay and allowances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25819/19]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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36. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the Public Service Pay Commission report on recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces will be published in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25619/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 25 and 36 together.

The Public Service Pay Commission was established to advise Government on public service remuneration policy. In the current phase, the second phase of the Commission's work, it was tasked by its Terms of Reference to undertake an examination of whether, and to what extent, there are difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff in key areas of the public service identified in its first report. The Public Service Pay Commission has adopted a modular approach to its work programme for its present exercise.

As the Deputy will be aware, the first module was published by the Commission in August 2018 and deals with issues relating to Nursing and Midwifery, Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors and Hospital Consultants.

The Commission engaged on work in relation to the Defence Forces in accordance with its terms of reference.  I understand that written submissions have been received from both the Employer and relevant staff associations and more recently, in March, oral presentations were also made to the Commission by both parties. 

The Commission has now completed its examination of recruitment and retention matters in the Defence Forces and has submitted its Report to me for consideration.

This Report will be submitted to Government and published in due course and will then fall to be considered by the parties to the Public Service Stability Agreement, 2018 - 2020 (as per section 3 of that Agreement).