Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2023
185. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the extent to which issues relating to pay and conditions with the Defence Forces have been resolved or are under review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29797/23]
View answerI understand that the Deputy wishes to seek clarity on Pay and Allowance matters for the Defence Forces. I am very happy to outline to the Deputy the range of recent key improvements in terms of pay and allowances for personnel.
At the outset, it is important to state that starting rates of pay in the Defence Forces compare very well to comparable rates of pay across the public service. In addition there is scope for further income from duty allowances and allowances for overseas service, with tax free duty allowance starting at €15,000 for a 6 month deployment.
In 2022, my Department implemented two of the pay-related recommendations of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces; namely, that all personnel of Private 3 Star/Able Seaman rank are paid the full rate of Military Service Allowance (MSA) applicable to the rank, while at the same time, the requirement for that cohort to ‘mark time’ for the first three years at that rank will be removed. The implementation of these measures in 2022 resulted in starting pay rates being increased. These rates include Military Service Allowance, which is pensionable. It is important also to note that these increases, once delivered late last year, were also backdated to the date of the Government decision on the CoDF in July 2022, resulting in a back pay lump sum for those eligible personnel.
Following this, and following the most recent pay increases under the Building Momentum public service pay agreement (2% on 1st March 2023) recruits on completion of training (which takes approximately 24 weeks), start at:
- €37,147 in Year 1 – equating to €712 per week in Year 1
- €38,544 in Year 2
- €39,832 in Year 3
A school leaver Cadet on commissioning is paid €41,123. This is a second lieutenant position. After 2 years they are promoted to lieutenant and their pay rises to €46,406. Where a graduate joins – the pay rate on commissioning begins at €46,406. These rates all include pensionable military service allowance.
Military Service Allowance is an allowance that is paid for the unpredictable nature of the work encountered by the Defence Forces. As with the enlisted, there is scope for further income from duty allowances. There are also opportunities for frequent career advancement to higher ranks and to qualify for additional allowances.
This information is published and routinely updated on military.ie, and is available at the following link:
Current Competitions - Defence Forces (military.ie) www.military.ie/en/careers/current-competitions/.
Further CoDF measures delivered have included:
- Agreement on regularising provision of healthcare to all members of the PDF with all personnel now being able to avail of private secondary medical care.
- Access to the Sea-going Service Commitment Scheme for personnel with one year’s service in the Naval Service (reduced from three years)
- Extensions of the Naval Service Sea Going Commitment Scheme and the Naval Service Tax Credit, and
- Extending service limits for Privates, Corporals and Sergeants.
In 2022, my Department also delivered the Commission recommendation on temporary associate membership for the Representative Associations with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) for the purpose of participation in public sector pay negotiations in mid-2020. This allowed RACO and PDFORRA, for the first time, to take part in discussions on the extension to the Building Momentum Pay Agreement under the ICTU umbrella.
The most recent agreement, the extension to ‘Building Momentum’ (referred to earlier and agreed in Autumn 2022), provided for increases in pay and allowances of 6.5% to members of the Defence Forces in 2022 and 2023. This includes:
- 3%, backdated to 2nd Feb 2022
- 2 % on 1st March 2023
- 1.5% or €750, whichever is the greater, on 1st October 2023.
Pensionable allowances in the nature of pay also benefit from this.
In addition, the implementation of the Sectoral Bargaining Fund element of the original Building Momentum Agreement has resulted in additional payments totalling €373,000 extra per annum - payments which primarily benefit over 471 of the Defence Force’s lower paid members. The implementation of the Technical Pay Groups 2-6 review also resulted in almost €1 million in additional technical pay to those covered by the Review in 2022.
In addition to general round pay increases arising out of ongoing national pay agreements, members of the Permanent Defence Forces have also benefitted from the implementation of increases in Defence Forces duty allowances, as recommended by the Public Service Pay Commission in 2019. It is important to note also that for those Defence Force personnel who have specialist appointments, based on training or qualifications, there is a range of additional allowances available to them. For example, members of the Army Ranger Wing currently receive an allowance of €225 per week, on top of their salary.
Finally, it has to be noted that the Defence Forces offers opportunities for education and personal development, to include fully funded opportunities to gain professional and academic qualifications, while receiving full pay and allowances, as well as providing training for career advancements and promotion opportunities.
