Vol. 566 No. 5
8 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Defence when the promised new career development plan for the Defence Forces will be introduced in regard to the commitment given in An Agreed Programme for Government; the main features of the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13102/03]
A draft integrated personnel management system, or IPMS, has been prepared by the military authorities and is being considered by the Department's civil-military strategic management committee. The IPMS will encompass a new career development plan.
The requirements which the IPMS must meet are set out in chapter 4.5 of the White Paper on Defence. The focus is on ensuring the availability of military personnel with the appropriate skills to undertake whatever tasks the State requires. In this regard, the IPMS will try to ensure that personnel policies and practices keep pace with current best practice to the benefit of the organisation and of the people in it.
In simple terms, the IPMS will deal with the broad range of personnel and human resource management and development issues. These include manpower policy and planning, equality of opportunity and treatment and the right to dignity at work, recruitment, terms of enlistment, induction, training education and development, physical and medical fitness, career guidance management and development, promotion, the regulatory framework, retirement and pensions. Within that broad context, it is intended that there would be a career development plan for all Defence Forces personnel. It is important to note that the issues which the IPMS must address are complex and the details, including the details of the career development plan, have yet to be finalised and agreed.
I do not want anything I say to pre-empt the discussions taking place in the strategic management committee. However, I can say in a general way that a career development plan would seek to ensure that people joining the Defence Forces are aware of the career opportunities available to them and are also aware of the standards to be reached and maintained. The plan would be designed to give all personnel the right blend of skills training, education, work assignments and experience to equip them to carry out their tasks, enhance the quality of their work life and enable them to compete for promotion opportunities. There would be an updated performance management system and performance appraisal and feedback which would have an appropriate element of career guidance and management built into it. All personnel, Army, Naval Service and Air Corps, whether officers or enlisted personnel, would be covered by the plan.
As I mentioned already, the IPMS is being discussed by the strategic management committee. Once these discussions are completed, I expect that a final draft of the IPMS will be submitted to me. Before any final decisions are taken, it is my intention that the Defence Forces representative associations will be fully consulted in a spirit of partnership in accordance with the system of representation. I hope to see the IPMS, including career development planning, finalised later this year.
Obviously this has major implications for the morale of members of the Defence Forces. Given the personal nature of the scheme and the possibilities and opportunities which will arise for each member from the educational and promotional point of view, what is the timescale in this regard? What the Minister has said is of major importance to each member of the Defence Forces, including the Air Corps, Naval Service and so on. Members will have an opportunity to improve their position, whether in education or whatever, but when will this happen? The Minister said that the issue is being discussed but can he give any timescale in this regard? While I fully support the idea, I need to be able to tell Defence Forces members in Kildare when it will happen.
When I launched the White Paper on Defence, I anticipated that we would be further advanced than is the case, even though intensive work is currently taking place to bring the matter to a fruitful conclusion. I dislike giving timescales. The most important aspect is not the timing but that the measure is correct, has lasting power, will be effective, well understood and will make a difference. While it is the outcome I want to achieve, I will be disappointed if the scheme is not completed by this time next year. I will certainly do my best to ensure that happens.
