Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 May 2017
44. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if sailors in the Naval Service who served on migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea received the extra payments agreed in November 2016; the reason for the delay in payment; the steps he will take to ensure that future such payments will not be delayed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23265/17]
View answerAn additional payment in respect of personnel who deployed to the humanitarian mission in the Mediterranean on Operation Pontus was agreed through the Conciliation & Arbitration Scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force by PDFORRA, the Representative Association for enlisted personnel.
This payment was subsequently authorised by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on 29 March 2017. On receipt of approval for payment of the additional amount, the Department issued instructions to its payroll provider – the Payroll Shared Services Centre (PSSC) – to make the payments due. The amounts involved were included with pay for serving personnel on the weekly payroll of 3 May 2017. Work is ongoing on the payment of amounts due to a small number of former personnel who have left the Permanent Defence Force and are no longer on the payroll system.
In the case of the Operation Pontus allowance, the arrears would normally have been paid within a shorter period after receipt of approval from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. However, in this particular case, payment was not made during April due to the migration, during April, of the Permanent Defence Force enlisted personnel payroll to the Department’s new payroll provider – the Payroll Shared Services Centre.
This significant project required the putting in place of revised payroll arrangements during April on a once off basis, including the temporary re-scheduling of payroll deadlines.
I am pleased that this matter of the additional payment has now been concluded.
