Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
439. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on the progress that has been made to date on the high-level implementation plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38999/22]
View answerThe Report of the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) on Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces was published on the 4th of July 2019. The Report was accepted in full by the Government and an extensive High Level Plan titled "Strengthening our Defence Forces” was also agreed and published on the same date.
All projects undertaken to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations of the PSPC report have now been completed, and/or are being progressed as part of normal business. The Project Management Office (PMO) has been stood down. This was communicated by a civil/military team in a final briefing on the status of the HLIP projects, to which the representative organisations of the Permanent Defence Force were invited.
By way of an update on the status of the projects, four projects, relating to pay provided immediate benefits to PDF members totalling some €10m, as well as initiatives that have led to further improvements. Also completed are projects on enhanced professional military education, bespoke leadership training, development of a mental health and wellbeing strategy, non-pay retention measures, consideration of the provision of additional specialist posts in certain areas, a review of recruitment process and a review of technical pay groups. The first tranche of payments to the Permanent Defence Force personnel who fulfil the eligibility criteria under the Technical pay grades 2-6 review, were received on the 13 July 2022.
The Workforce Planning Project report has been presented and is being progressed through the joint civil/military Strategic Human Resources Group.
The Review of Pay Structures project was intended to examine pay structures in the Permanent Defence Force and to fall under the public service pay agreement “Building Momentum”. However, in the intervening period, one of the tasks set for the Commission on the Defence Forces was also to examine pay structures in the Permanent Defence Force. The recommendations of another project dealing with incentivised long service arrangements for certain Officer and NCO ranks, fell to be considered in the context of the sectoral bargaining element of “Building Momentum”.
The project examining Barriers to Extended Participation in the PDF was split into two phases. Phase 1 focussed on reviewing mandatory retirement ages for Officers. A review has been completed by civil and military staff and their Report contains a number of recommendations for extension in service limits.
Phase 2 examined the contracts of service and mandatory retirement ages for enlisted personnel. In December 2021, agreement was secured with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which will allow for an extension in service limits for all Privates and Corporals to remain in service up to 50 years of age, subject to them meeting certain criteria including medical and fitness standards.
Arrangements were also secured which will allow for Sergeants to continue to serve beyond 50 years of age the details of which will be finalised following further discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Other recommendations in this project (both Phase 1 and Phase 2) will be considered in the forum of an Inter-Departmental Working Group, which the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has established to consider mandatory retirement ages for all public service groups with fast accrual pension arrangements.
