Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 May 2021
291. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which he expects to be in a position to deal with the issues that have caused concern in the Defence Forces over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25472/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government contains an ambitious range of commitments concerning Defence that my Department will continue to implement over the lifetime of the Programme including;
- The establishment of a Commission on the Defence Forces.
- Support for the establishment of centres for retired members of the Defence Forces.
- Development of a new Institute for Peace Support and Leadership Training in the Curragh.
- To ensure that all enlisted members of the Defence Forces have the same access to health care as officers currently do.
- Amend the Organisation of Working Time Act, bringing the Defence Forces within the scope of its provisions.
The establishment of an independent Commission on the Defence Forces underpins the Government's commitment to ensuring that the Defence Forces are fit for purpose, both in terms of meeting immediate requirements and also in terms of seeking to develop a longer term vision beyond 2030.
Areas to be covered by the Commission on the Defence Forces include; Arrangements for the effective defence of the country at land, air and sea; structure and size of the Defence Forces encompassing capabilities, structures and staffing; appropriate governance and high level command and control; pay and allowances structures; recruitment, retention and career progression and leveraging the capabilities of the Reserve Defence Force.
- This independent Commission on the Defence Forces was established by Government in December 2020, with a mandate to report within 12 months. The Commission’s overall approach will be guided and informed by both the White Paper on Defence 2015 and the White Paper Update 2019. As part of a broader consultation process, the Commission invited submissions from individuals and organisations on issues relevant to its Terms of Reference. The Commission received over 500 submissions which they are currently analysing.
- The members of the Commission have been carefully chosen to ensure the optimum range of expertise in key areas. The Commission is chaired by Aidan O'Driscoll, a former Secretary General in two Government Departments. He is joined by 14 other members with national and international expertise across a range of disciplines. The Commission has engaged with stakeholders including the Representative Associations, Officer and Enlisted ranks in the Defence Forces and other relevant groups and have visited Defence installations to meet Defence Force members directly with more visits scheduled for the Summer.
Following the work of the Commission the Programme for Government commits to the establishment of a Permanent Pay Review body for the Defence Forces which must be consistent with national public sector wage policy. The Commission is to submit their report by the end of the year and it will be considered fully at that time.
This work will continue alongside the on-going work of White Paper implementation projects, the High Level Implementation Plan arising from the Public Service Pay Commission Report on the Defence Forces, the Equipment Development Plan and the Infrastructure Development plan, both five year rolling plans published last year, and all the other work being undertaken by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces to ensure the Defence Organisation can fulfil all roles as set out by Government.
