John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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439. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on the progress that has been made to date on the high-level implementation plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38999/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Report of the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) on Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces was published on the 4th of July 2019. The Report was accepted in full by the Government and an extensive High Level Plan titled "Strengthening our Defence Forces” was also agreed and published on the same date.

All projects undertaken to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations of the PSPC report have now been completed, and/or are being progressed as part of normal business. The Project Management Office (PMO) has been stood down. This was communicated by a civil/military team in a final briefing on the status of the HLIP projects, to which the representative organisations of the Permanent Defence Force were invited.

By way of an update on the status of the projects, four projects, relating to pay provided immediate benefits to PDF members totalling some €10m, as well as initiatives that have led to further improvements. Also completed are projects on enhanced professional military education, bespoke leadership training, development of a mental health and wellbeing strategy, non-pay retention measures, consideration of the provision of additional specialist posts in certain areas, a review of recruitment process and a review of technical pay groups. The first tranche of payments to the Permanent Defence Force personnel who fulfil the eligibility criteria under the Technical pay grades 2-6 review, were received on the 13 July 2022.

The Workforce Planning Project report has been presented and is being progressed through the joint civil/military Strategic Human Resources Group.

The Review of Pay Structures project was intended to examine pay structures in the Permanent Defence Force and to fall under the public service pay agreement “Building Momentum”. However, in the intervening period, one of the tasks set for the Commission on the Defence Forces was also to examine pay structures in the Permanent Defence Force. The recommendations of another project dealing with incentivised long service arrangements for certain Officer and NCO ranks, fell to be considered in the context of the sectoral bargaining element of “Building Momentum”.

The project examining Barriers to Extended Participation in the PDF was split into two phases. Phase 1 focussed on reviewing mandatory retirement ages for Officers. A review has been completed by civil and military staff and their Report contains a number of recommendations for extension in service limits.

Phase 2 examined the contracts of service and mandatory retirement ages for enlisted personnel. In December 2021, agreement was secured with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which will allow for an extension in service limits for all Privates and Corporals to remain in service up to 50 years of age, subject to them meeting certain criteria including medical and fitness standards.

Arrangements were also secured which will allow for Sergeants to continue to serve beyond 50 years of age the details of which will be finalised following further discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Other recommendations in this project (both Phase 1 and Phase 2) will be considered in the forum of an Inter-Departmental Working Group, which the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has established to consider mandatory retirement ages for all public service groups with fast accrual pension arrangements.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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440. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will detail the rates of pay for civilian workers in Defence Forces facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39000/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department employs civilian staff at various military installations to support the work of the Defence Forces. The grades employed are spread across a wide spectrum and include craft workers (Electricians, Carpenters, Plumbers, Fitters, Welders etc.), services (General Operatives), administrative (Clerks, Storemen), healthcare professionals (Social Workers, Physiotherapists, Pharmacists) and other specialist grades (Archivists, Aircraft Inspector/Instructor, Technicians, Quantity Surveyors, Draughtsmen).

Public Sector pay and allowance rates are determined centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, I will arrange for my officials to forward a copy of the most recent pay scales to the Deputy.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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441. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will detail the number of civilian job vacancies that are currently open at Defence Forces facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39001/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Civilian Employees are employed by my Department to support the operational capability of the Defence Forces.  The recruitment of Civilian Employees for military instillations is an ongoing process, informed by prioritisation of posts by military management.

My Department is currently running the following open competitions and are at various stages in the recruitment process:

- Storekeeper Clerk (Grade 1) in the Defence Forces Training Centre, Curragh, Co. Kildare.

- Senior Clinical Psychologist in St Bricin’s Military Hospital, Dublin.

- Head Quantity Surveyor in McKee Barracks, Dublin.

A number of internal competitions are also currently underway.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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444. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will detail the pay and renumeration structure for all ranks in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39004/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the current rates of pay and allowances for all members of the Defence Forces are publicly available through the Department of Defence Website  at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/e8132-routinely-published-information/#defence-forces-pay-scales

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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445. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the measures that are in place to provide for the healthcare of members of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39005/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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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, clinical mental health services provided by an in-house psychiatrist and two in-house psychologists, 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.

In addition, the Defence Forces Personnel Support Service provide 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 to sustain and enhance the individual wellbeing of personnel, and to promote a safe and positive work culture in order to support the effectiveness of the Defence Forces.

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.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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449. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces Barracks that provide living quarters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39009/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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450. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the occupancy of the Defence Forces Army Barracks that provide living quarters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39010/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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451. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the last time that there was a vacancy in the living quarters provided by the Defence Forces. [39011/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 449 to 451, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy will be aware it is a long standing policy that long term residential married quarters are no longer provided. It is not intended to reverse this long standing policy which was introduced in the early 1990s and was implemented on a gradual basis in recognition of the sensitivities involved for those  personal and their families.

Single-Living-In (SLI) accommodation is provided in every permanently occupied military installation.  The occupancy of SLI accommodation can fluctuate on a daily basis, depending on location, the number of courses being held in a location and the duration of the course. 

I am advised by the Military authorities that there are a total of 59 Married Quarters, of which 1 is currently unoccupied and, pending electrical repairs, will be available and fit for occupation.

There are 4,569 Single Living-In beds in the various Defence Forces Installations, of which 2,576 beds are for short-term training purposes and the balance are for operational occupancy.