Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the measures that have been taken to ensure the health and well-being, particularly mental health, of Irish Defence Forces personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23833/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The health and welfare of the men and women of the Defence Forces is a high priority for my Department. A wide range of medical services are provided to members of the Permanent Defence Force including an annual medical examination, sick parades, GP services, prescription services, laboratory services, physiotherapy, chiropody, radiology, ophthalmic examinations, in-patient and outpatient public hospital charges and routine dental treatment.

In addition, Commissioned Officers and members of the Army Nursing Service may also avail of private consultant appointments and diagnostic tests, and private/semi-private hospital treatment dependent on rank. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to "ensure that all enlisted members of the Defence Forces have the same access to health care as officers currently do". A Working Group has been established with a view to bringing forward proposals on this matter.

In the case of Defence Forces personnel assigned to longer term overseas administrative posts, these personnel, and any accompanying dependents are provided with global comprehensive medical insurance for which a formal arrangement is in place with a health insurance provider. This involves the organisation paying the difference between a basic minimum payment and the cost of the global plan.

The provision of this range of benefits is unique in the public and indeed the private sectors, and they are exempt from benefit-in-kind taxation.

A range of medical and non-medical mental health supports are also provided to Defence Forces personnel. This includes in-house access to clinical psychology and psychiatry services, provided by two full-time clinical psychologists and one full-time consultant psychiatrist.

In addition, the Defence Forces Personnel Support Service provides a welfare, information, psycho-social support and referral service, that is professional, responsive and confidential, to serving members of the Defence Forces and their families.

The Mental Health and Well-being Strategy for the Defence Forces, which was launched by me in December 2020, recognises the unique nature of the experience of military life in Ireland. The aim of the strategy is to provide a coordinated and effective mental health and support system for the personnel of the Defence Forces through the adoption of a series of measures between 2020 and 2023.

As additional support, the Department of Defence has arranged the provision of a confidential counselling, referral and support service, on a wide range of personal and work related issues, for serving members of the Defence Forces, civilian employees and Civil Defence members. A Freephone confidential helpline is available on a 24/7 basis 365 days a year and is staffed by fully-trained and experienced counsellors.

The Chaplaincy Service also provides confidential, comprehensive pastoral support and spiritual care to personnel at home and overseas.

While I am satisfied that the measures taken to ensure the health and well-being of Defence Forces personnel are comprehensive, I can assure the Deputy that they are kept under constant review.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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18. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the current pay scales in the Defence Forces are having an impact on the attractiveness for potential applicants. [23670/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that a range of actions have been taken to address recruitment issues in the Defence Forces. These include a number of projects undertaken to bolster the attractiveness of a career in the Defence Forces.

The recent Report of the Commission on Defence Forces makes a range of recommendations in this area, which will all be considered. The Report proposes significant changes, including the level of Defence provision in Ireland and recommendations in relation to capacity components required to achieve that provision. This includes, inter alia, consideration of morale, recruitment and retention matters. Following relevant consultation, I will revert to Government with a proposed response to the Commission's recommendations and a high-level action plan which will set out proposed timelines and oversight arrangements for its implementation.

In the interim, my focus remains on retaining/restoring all branches of the Defence Forces at their full capacity and significant work has been undertaken to date, and such work continues, but it will take time to see the full effect of the measures introduced.

Specifically in terms of pay scales, the Deputy is aware that the Defence Forces are paid increases in pay and allowances, in line with Public Service pay agreements.

The current public service pay agreement, ‘Building Momentum – A New Public Service Agreement 2021 – 2022’ provides for increases in pay and allowances to all public servants, including members of the Defence Forces.

In addition to general round pay increases, arising out of ongoing national pay agreements, members of the Permanent Defence Force have also benefitted from the implementation of increases in Defence Force’s allowances, as recommended by the Public Service Pay Commission in 2019.

Based on the 2021 Q4 Preliminary Estimates of the CSO’s Average weekly earnings by the public sector sub-sector, it is also worth noting that weekly earnings in the Defence sector compare very well to counterparts elsewhere in the public sector. Defence personnel's weekly earnings, over the period Q4 2016 - Q4 2021, have risen by 25%. This places them squarely in mid-table – earning more on a weekly basis than their counterparts in the Health, Regional Bodies and Civil Service sub-sectors.

I, as Minister for Defence, remain committed to returning to, and maintaining, the agreed establishment figure for the Defence Force.