Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 October 2023
106. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence for an overview of pay and conditions in the Defence Forces, especially in relation to new recruits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42247/23]
View answer111. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the plans to improve pay and conditions for members of the Defence Forces. [42559/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 111 together.
The Deputy may wish to be aware that starting rates of pay in the Defence Forces compare very well to comparable rates of pay across the public service. There is also further scope for additional income for members of the Defence Forces from duty allowances for specific duties carried out on an ongoing basis and allowances for overseas service, including a tax-free duty allowance starting at €15,000 for a 6 month overseas deployment.
There has been significant progress delivered on pay and conditions for the Defence Forces in recent years. In May 2019, a newly qualified three star private could expect to earn €27,759 gross per annum (including military service allowance but excluding duty allowances). Following the implementation of the Commission on Defence Forces recommendations, and the pay increases under the Building Momentum public service pay agreement (the final 1.5% is due on 1st October 2023), recruits on completion of training (which takes approximately 24 weeks), will start at:
• €38,016 in Year 1
• €39,413 in Year 2 and
• €40,700 in Year 3
In terms of Officers; a school leaver Cadet - on commissioning as an Officer- is paid €41,962. This is a second Lieutenant position. After 2 years they are promoted to Lieutenant and their pay rises to €47,245. Where a graduate joins – the pay rate on commissioning as a Lieutenant begins at €47,245. These rates all include pensionable military service allowance, which is an allowance that is paid to all ranks up to and including the rank of Colonel, for the unpredictable nature of the work encountered by the Defence Forces.
As with enlisted, there is scope for further additional income for officers from duty allowances. There are also opportunities for frequent career advancement to higher ranks & to qualify for additional allowances where members of the Defence Forces acquire technical qualifications and/or fill associated appointments that qualify for technical pay.
I recently announced the extension of private secondary medical care to all Defence Forces ranks. Previously, this benefit applied to Commissioned Officers only. It will now apply to all personnel and will be of immediate benefit to a further 84% of the Permanent Defence Force based on current strengths.
In addition to the comprehensive range of primary care currently provided, this new measure will facilitate referrals to private consultants, as well as the costs of any diagnostic tests.
This is a significant enhancement to the overall benefits package for personnel and is unique in the public sector. It continues the significant progress being made by Government in improving the employment conditions of Defence Forces personnel.
