Vol. 536 No. 2
67 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Defence the reason the Defence Forces have not been paid the 1 April 2001 2% wage increase under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness; if civil servants in the Department of Defence received this 2% payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13973/01]
The payment to members of the Permanent Defence Forces of the 2% increase that came into effect on 1 April 2001 under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness will take place later this month as follows: Enlisted personnel will be paid on 23 May and commissioned officers and members of the Army nursing service will be paid on 31 May 2001. The arrears for April will be paid at this time.
It is not in any way unusual for pay increases to be paid after the due date as I am sure the majority of Deputies will know. For example, the increase payable to the Defence Forces under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness on 1 October last was paid to enlisted personnel on 1 November last and to commissioned officers on 31 December last.
Although the late payment of pay increases is not unusual, it is obviously preferable if pay increases can be implemented on the due date. Furthermore, it is easier for payroll sections as it avoids the need to calculate arrears of pay. I assure the House that I will ensure that the next increase due under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness – the 5.5% increase due on 1 October – will be paid more promptly after the due date. I can confirm that the civil servants in my Department have received the 2% PPF increase.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Why were members of the Defence Forces not paid? Was there some administrative difficulty? Had some members of staff left? Was the Department not able to calculate it? If that was the case, why were the civil servants paid? Does the Minister agree this sends out a very poor signal to members of the Defence Forces? What should be a simple administrative process can be implemented on behalf of 400 or 500 civil servants, yet members of the Defence Forces have not been paid.
The situation that arose earlier this year was that both my Department and the Department of Finance, which is the sanctioning authority for Defence Forces pay increases, were heavily involved in preparing submissions to the public service benchmarking body which was due on 20 March 2001. The pressure of work was such that some routine work, such as processing the payment of the 2% Programme for Prosperity and Fairness increase, was, of necessity, set aside so that the benchmarking body's deadline could be met.
I accept the Deputy's contention, it should not happen no matter what the pressures. We are going to try to ensure that on the next occasion, it will be paid quickly after the due date. I apologise that this has happened. As we look back over the history of this, there is almost a consistent pattern which should be changed, and I will do my best to do so.
Does the Minister know who decided to prioritise the civil servants as opposed to the Defence Forces? How was this decision arrived at? Were members of the Defence Forces informed beforehand that they would not be paid at the end of April? If not, why were they not informed that they would not be paid?
I am not aware whether members of the Defence Forces were informed. As I said, it is a practice I would like to bring to an end no matter what the pressures. I assure the Deputy that as far as I can possibly ensure, we will not have a repeat of this episode.
The Minister stated that enlisted personnel will be paid on 23 May and that members of the nursing corps and the officer corps will be paid on 31 May. Have those groups been informed that the payments will be made on these dates?
I sincerely hope they have been informed but if not, they will know now. As I said, it is a development for which I apologise and which should not have happened in the first place.
