Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2023
177. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the reason a role (details supplied) in the Army is less remunerated that the same role in the Naval Service, where the qualifications and training are the same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29746/23]
View answer178. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will seek that grade 6 pay be introduced for a role (details supplied) in the Army given the shortage of artillery experts, and to ensure fair pay within the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29747/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 178 together.
Armament Artificers in the Naval Service are currently paid Technical Pay Rate 6, while their counterparts in the Army continue to be paid Technical Pay Rate 5. This differing rate arose in 2018, due to a request from Naval Service HQ, who, at the time, and as is also the case today, were facing a significant retention issue for this particular cohort, who were in high demand in the private sector. That issue did not exist in the Army at that time. As such, a case was made to the then Department of Expenditure & Reform and sanctioned by that Department, to place Armament Artificers in the Naval Service on Technical Pay Rate 6.
A subsequent Review of Technical Pay grades in their totality took place following the 2019 recommendation of the Public Service Pay Commission in this regard, that urged the Review to take place at the earliest possible opportunity, without compromising the then Public Service Stability Agreement. The approach to implementing the findings of the review of Technical Grades 2-6 was the subject of extensive engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. It should be noted that this review did not recommend that Armament Artificers serving in the Army be moved to Technical Pay Rate 6.
All of the recommendations of this Tech 2-6 Review were fully implemented in 2022, representing an additional €1m approx. per annum, in pay for over 700 Enlisted personnel who were positively affected by this measure.
The current national pay agreement, Building Momentum, to which the Defence Forces Representative Associations have signed up to, provided for a Sectoral Bargaining fund which could have been utilised by the relevant Defence Forces Representative Association to address the specific measure of introducing Technical Pay Rate 6 for Armament Officers in the Army. This route was not chosen in order to address this matter.
