Patricia Ryan
Question:468. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Defence the status of the review on mandatory retirement ages for the Defence Forces personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54198/22]
View answerTuesday, 8 November 2022
Questions (468, 484, 485, 486)
Sorca Clarke
Question:484. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the engagement that his Department has had with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the mandatory retirement age of 50 years for those at the rank of sergeant across the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54717/22]
View answerSorca Clarke
Question:485. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the engagement that his Department has had with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the mandatory retirement age of 55 years for senior non-commissioned officers across the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54718/22]
View answerSorca Clarke
Question:486. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the situation in the Defence Forces where at the rank of sergeant, there are over 400 vacancies from an establishment of 1,330; the steps that he is taking to rectify this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54719/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 468 and 484 to 486, inclusive, together.
To compensate for the fact that members of the Defence Force are required to retire at an age which is considerably lower than in other employments, there are arrangements in place for accelerated pension provisions, where pension and gratuity may be payable on retirement at age 50.
As current pension arrangements for personnel enlisted to the Permanent Defence Force on or after 1 January 1994, are based on date of entry to the Defence Forces, any proposals to amend the length of service requires Department of Public Expenditure and Reform consideration from a costs and pensions perspective.
Subsequent to a civil/military review of Barriers to Extended Participation in the PDF, the Minister for Defence secured agreement, in December 2021, with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, which allows for an extension in service limits for Privates and Corporals, who were recruited to the Permanent Defence Force since 1 January 1994, to remain in service up to 50 years of age, subject to them meeting certain criteria including medical and fitness standards.
I recently secured an interim arrangement with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform which will allow for the retention in service for a further two years to the end of 2024 for Sergeants recruited after 1 January 1994, who are or would reach 50 years of age by the end of 2024, subject to their meeting certain criteria including passing medical and fitness tests.
The service limits for all ranks in the Defence Forces and other recommendations in the review relating to Commissioned Officers and senior Non-Commissioned Officer ranks, 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 and service limits for public service groups who have fast accrual pension arrangements.