Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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468. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the status of the review on mandatory retirement ages for the Defence Forces personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54198/22]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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484. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the engagement that his Department has had with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the mandatory retirement age of 50 years for those at the rank of sergeant across the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54717/22]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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485. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the engagement that his Department has had with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the mandatory retirement age of 55 years for senior non-commissioned officers across the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54718/22]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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486. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the situation in the Defence Forces where at the rank of sergeant, there are over 400 vacancies from an establishment of 1,330; the steps that he is taking to rectify this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54719/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 468 and 484 to 486, inclusive, together.

To compensate for the fact that members of the Defence Force are required to retire at an age which is considerably lower than in other employments, there are arrangements in place for accelerated pension provisions, where pension and gratuity may be payable on retirement at age 50.

As current pension arrangements for personnel enlisted to the Permanent Defence Force on or after 1 January 1994, are based on date of entry to the Defence Forces, any proposals to amend the length of service requires Department of Public Expenditure and Reform consideration from a costs and pensions perspective.

Subsequent to a civil/military review of Barriers to Extended Participation in the PDF, the Minister for Defence secured agreement, in December 2021, with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, which allows for an extension in service limits for Privates and Corporals, who were recruited to the Permanent Defence Force since 1 January 1994, to remain in service up to 50 years of age, subject to them meeting certain criteria including medical and fitness standards.

I recently secured an interim arrangement with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform which will allow for the retention in service for a further two years to the end of 2024 for Sergeants recruited after 1 January 1994, who are or would reach 50 years of age by the end of 2024, subject to their meeting certain criteria including passing medical and fitness tests.

The service limits for all ranks in the Defence Forces and other recommendations in the review relating to Commissioned Officers and senior Non-Commissioned Officer ranks, 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 and service limits for public service groups who have fast accrual pension arrangements.

Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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469. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of members of the Defence Forces disciplined for misconduct of a sexual nature in each of the years 2000 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54199/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by the military authorities that offences relating to misconduct of a sexual nature are categorised as 'non-scheduled' in accordance with Part V of the Defence Act 1954 and are tried by Court Martial. During the period 2000 to 2021 and to date in 2022, Court Martials found charges proven in six (6) instances.

As the Deputy will be aware, I am fully committed to ensuring that every member of the Defence Forces has the right to undertake their duties in a safe environment underpinned by dignity and equality and by a culture of zero-tolerance for any kind of bullying, discrimination, harassment or sexual abuse.

Over the last twenty years since the 2002 publication of the External Advisory Group on the Defence Forces and the three subsequent reports from the Independent Monitoring Group (IMG), a number of reforms have been implemented for addressing allegations of inappropriate behaviour, including harassment, sexual harassment and bullying, which are contained in policy documents and in Defence Force Regulation.

The Defence Forces Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Statement and Action Plan additionally aims to ensure that a transparent culture exists, that encourages personnel to report inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, bullying, harassment and sexual harassment.

Despite these reforms however, it is clear from the experiences shared by both current and former members of the Defence Forces that further work is needed and I acknowledge that the culture that is pervading, and the application of those policies, systems and procedures for dealing with unacceptable behaviour have not, and are not, serving all Defence Forces personnel well.

The work of the Judge-led Independent Review Group (IRG), established by me on 25 January last, following Government approval, is examining issues relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct, as well as workplace culture, in the Defence Forces.

This Independent Review is a necessary and critical step to fulfil my duty of care obligation to the men and women of the Defence Forces, to provide a safe work environment. The serving members of the Defence Forces, expect nothing less.

The final report which is to be presented to me at the end of the year, will be brought to Government, before being published.