Agreement has been reached with the Representative Association for Commissioned Officers (RACO) under the restructuring clause of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work which provides, inter alia, for revised rates of pay effective from 1 October 1994. The pensions of officers up to and including the rank of Colonel who retire after 1 October 1994, are adjusted to reflect the benefit of the pay increases implemented to date under the terms of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work agreement.
The agreement recently reached with the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association (PDFORRA) under the restructuring clause of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work provides, inter alia, for increased rates of pay effective from 1 April 1994. The pensions of enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force who retire after 1 April 1994, will be adjusted to reflect the benefit of the pay increases now due to be implemented under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work agreement.
Consideration is currently being given to the implications of restructuring deals of existing pensioners and pensions increase policy across the public service. While a number of restructuring deals have been concluded to date, the outcome of talks has still to be finalised in the case of several major public service groups. Pending completion of the latter and consideration of the pensions issues generally I am not in a position at this stage to set out the effect of such deals on the pensions of former members of the Permanent Defence Force.