Vol. 543 No. 3
88 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence the basis for determining the date of discharge from the Army when a member of the Forces switches from full-time service to being a member of the reservists subject to occasional call-up; and the way in which the eligibility of service for pension purposes is determined in these circumstances. [27021/01]
Defence Forces regulations A10, paragraph 8, outlines the terms of enlistment for members of the Defence Forces. These terms indicate the initial commitment to be given for service in the Permanent Defence Force and the subsequent commitment to the Reserve Defence Force. Personnel who are discharged from the Defence Forces and who have less than 12 years service are automatically transferred to the reserve. Personnel with more than 12 years service are required to apply for service with the reserve. Reservists have not been called up for training since the 1980s. Pensions are payable to enlisted personnel on discharge from the Permanent Defence Force provided they have completed 21 years service. Service in the reserve is not reckonable for military superannuation purposes under the Defence Forces pensions schemes.
