Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2019
96. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the steps being taken to address low pay and retention issues in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10304/19]
View answerSimilar to other sectors in the public service, the pay of Permanent Defence Force personnel was reduced as one of the measures to assist in stabilising national finances during the financial crisis.
Improvements within the economy have provided an opportunity to begin the unwinding of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) legislation, which imposed pay cuts across the Public Service during the financial crisis.
Pay is being restored to members of the Defence Forces and other public servants in accordance with public sector pay agreements. The focus of these increases is weighted in favour of those on lower pay.
The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020, which was accepted by members of the Permanent Defence Force through their representative associations, provides for increases in pay ranging from 6.2% to 7.4% over the lifetime of the Agreement. The increases due under the agreement from 1 January 2018, 1 October 2018 and 1 January 2019 have been paid to Permanent Defence Force personnel. Further increases in pay are scheduled in 2019 and 2020.
By the end of the current public service pay agreement the payscales of all public servants (including members of the Defence Forces) earning under €70,000 per annum will be restored to pre-FEMPI levels. The restoration of the 5% reduction to allowances cut under FEMPI is also scheduled as part of that agreement.
New entrants who have joined the Defence Forces since 2011 may also benefit from the measures which were recently announced in relation to interventions at points 4 and 8 of the pay scales for relevant new entrants to the public service.
In accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020, the Government has tasked the Public Service Pay Commission with conducting a comprehensive examination of specific recruitment and retention challenges in the Defence Sector. The Commission's work is ongoing. The Government will give due consideration to the findings and any recommendations that arise from the work of the Commission.
