Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 October 2023
81. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the measures he is taking to support the retention of Defence Forces personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42248/23]
View answer120. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the key challenges he has identified with regard to Defence Forces retention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42463/23]
View answerI ask the Tánaiste the measures he is taking to support the retention of Defence Forces personnel and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 120 together.
The ongoing staffing challenges in the Defence Forces with regard to retention are fully acknowledged and well documented. In this we are no different from other international militaries that, in a competitive labour market, are experiencing similar difficulties. The immediate focus is on stabilising the numbers of personnel and on facilitating capacity for further increases.
In light of the Commission on the Defence Forces report and the report of the IRG, I have also prioritised a significant programme of reform and culture change within the Defence Forces to ensure that it is an equal opportunities employer, reflective of contemporary Irish society and providing a safe workplace.
The strategic framework for transformation of the Defence Forces, approved by the Government last week, which I have published, sets out the vital work that is under way relating to the transformation of the Defence Forces and outlines the necessary actions to be delivered by the end of 2024. The framework aims to support the transformation of the Defence Forces into a fit-for-purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future. There is a focus on strategic human resources and cultural change which will serve to transform the internal working environment for serving members. It covers the recommendations made in the IRG report and the Commission on the Defence Forces report, together with measures to address recruitment and retention challenges, and the legislative changes needed to modernise our Defence Forces. Action 50 of the framework sets out the retention initiatives to be actioned over the next 15 months.
The implementation of early actions from the commission's report in 2022, in addition to the most recent pay increases provided under the Building Momentum pay agreement, have contributed to significant progress on pay in recent years. 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. All personnel of private 3 star-able seaman rank are now paid the full rate of military service allowance applicable to the rank, and there is the removal of the requirement for that cohort to mark time for the first three years at that rank. The seagoing service commitment scheme for Naval Service personnel and the Air Corps service commitment scheme have been implemented to address particular difficulties that exist in certain specialist areas. A seagoing naval personnel tax credit was introduced in the Finance Act 2019 to incentivise seagoing duties for members of the Naval Service. This tax credit has since been extended to the 2023 tax year.
Other non-pay initiatives introduced to address retention challenges include commissioning from the ranks, the re-entry of former Permanent Defence Force personnel with specific skills, and extending service limits for privates, corporals and sergeants. Last month I secured sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for the extension of private healthcare to all ranks in the Defence Forces, on foot of a programme for Government commitment and a Commission on the Defence Forces recommendation. In addition to access to medical, physiotherapy, pharmacy and dental care, the Defence Forces provide fitness training and sports facilities across their installations. Fully funded opportunities to continue education to gain professional and academic qualifications are also available. There is the 2023-27 Defence Forces infrastructure development plan underpinning the development and maintenance of the necessary operational and training infrastructure with the highest level of financial resources in the State's history. There is the piloting of new work-life balance initiatives including facilitating jobsharing for overseas deployments and the review of how career courses are conducted, to make them more accessible to those with family commitments. A range of harmony measures have also been implemented, including hot-desking for certain enlisted and commissioned personnel who have been posted away from their home address, and remote working is considered for a limited number of personnel, depending on the circumstances.
A further range of financial and non-financial retention measures are also being advanced. There is a review of mandatory retirement ages in all ranks in the Permanent Defence Force. Officials in the Department are actively engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform on the manner by which the recommendations of the commission can be implemented.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
The introduction of a mechanism to provide for the ongoing review of the application of existing specialist pay rates and allowances to groups and categories of military personnel, in line with the commitments from the Commission on the Defence Forces report, will also be progressed with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. Any recommendations will be progressed within public pay policy parameters. There is a review of medical services in the Defence Forces, with the review being progressed during 2024. Associate membership of ICTU for the representative associations is to be underpinned by legislation. There is the finalisation of the policy position on the working time directive.
I assure the Deputy that the recruitment and retention of Defence Forces personnel continues to be a key priority for me. This is demonstrated by the priorities I have set out for the coming 15 months in the strategic framework.
I thank the Tánaiste. I am learning an awful lot tonight.
We have committed to implementing the action plan which arose from the Commission on the Defence Forces. Just last week, however, of the just two naval vessels operating, patrolling our seas, one discovered and intercepted a massive €150 million of cocaine on the MV Matthew just off the coast of Wexford, which borders Carlow. It is very important to mention that. I pay tribute to and compliment the Defence Forces on such a massive find. It is absolutely huge. Well done to all involved. However, we had to borrow a helicopter from the National Ambulance Service to carry out this important seizure. I wondered when I was reading about it, and we saw it in all the news, how many boats have not made it ashore because of lack of resources.
We must put the tools in place for the Defence Forces, and I know how committed the Tánaiste is. This is urgent and I note the Tánaiste's commitment on this
Well done to the Deputy on getting Carlow into that question.
I got it in twice.
Charlie O'Connor will be proud of her.
I want to pay tribute to all involved in the joint task force involving the Defence Forces, the Garda and the Revenue, in particular. It also involved the deployment of: the LÉ William Butler Yeats; two AgustaWestland AW139 Army helicopters, one of which was in medical service but they are Army helicopters; one Casa CN 235 fixed wing aircraft; one Pilatus PC12 fixed wing aircraft; and a team from the Army Ranger Wing, ARW. That was the full complement of the entire Defence Forces. It was not that they suddenly discovered it but this was a result of working with agencies internationally and of working with the Garda, and with the Defence Forces monitoring the operation. Our forces would have been alerted and the joint task force worked well together. We have provided significant resources, including two new aircraft, Airbus C295s, one of which was not ready as it has just been purchased and one more is coming. Two new ships have been provided to the Naval Service. There is unprecedented investment in infrastructure in the barracks and so on.
I want to pay tribute to the Tánaiste for his passion and commitment to this. Even in his answers tonight, when I asked him about the strengthening of the Reserve, he showed his commitment to that. Also, when I asked the Tánaiste about the support we are giving to the retention of Defence Forces members, he showed his commitment in answering that question. Most critical is that we get more women into the Defence Forces. That is so important to me because women can play a huge role in this and it is something we need to work on more. I welcome the Tánaiste's commitment and that big find last week was important. It was huge, with a €150 million value, and I am sure that had been worked on for months. All agencies were involved and all the different bodies worked together. Again I want to say well done to all.
I agree with the Deputy that we need more women in our Defence Forces, at all levels. We need change in that respect and that is something that I am focused on, as is the independent oversight group, particularly on the role of women within the Defence Forces and on career progression for women. As Deputy Aindrias Moynihan said earlier, it is vitally important that we develop mechanisms to facilitate that. It cannot be put into the long or the medium term.
I would make a general comment that I understand and agree that there are shortcomings. We have the infrastructure, including ships, and we are increasing that but there is a tendency that if there is any positive at all we need to rush to knock it. I am not saying the Deputy does this but I noted the commentary afterwards. We cannot allow an hour to pass without making a positive story into a negative one as well. A lot of young people saw in the operation last week, particularly in regard to the role of the ARW and so on, how all that training matters, and how professional they are, along with the Revenue and the Garda, and that they did the nation proud. We have to provide additional services and so on. I get that but we should keep the positives to the fore as well as the negatives that are there.
I join others in commending the Tánaiste on leading reform within the Defence Forces and in restoring the high value our nation has in those who serve. The Tánaiste mentioned the non-financial measures he is looking at in retaining those who serve and housing should come into that mix as well. Around 1982 or 1983 the Department of Defence owned a huge land bank in Knockalisheen, Meelick, County Clare. A lot of the men and women from that locality would be based out of Sarsfield Barracks in Limerick but the Department of Defence partnered with the Reverend Father Harry Bohan at the time, who was leading what we would now call an affordable housing scheme, although I am not sure what term they used 40 years ago. It was successful in delivering a scheme of about 75 affordable houses. To this day, people who served in the 1980s, and second and third generations who are still serving the Army, live in this estate. It breathed incredible life into the village. The school was struggling at the time and it just gave us a huge boost. I would love to see those land banks similarly used. They are considerable and a lot of them lie within the Department of Defence. Maybe they could be part of Housing for All or at least as housing for those who serve in the armed forces.
I thank the Deputy for that interesting vignette of history of the success of rural development which Fr. Harry Bohan was a pioneer of. We need more partnerships like that. We are investing in a lot of accommodation in existing barracks and in Haulbowline, where significant refurbishment has already taken place. We want to increase the specification and quality of this accommodation. It is primarily being used by those who are training for prolonged periods, for six-month training periods and so forth. There is a construction programme under way in respect of that nature of accommodation. I am not inclined to dispose of any more barracks where we have personnel because there is a link between where we have Army barracks and recruitment. One of the downsides of closing or transforming barracks has been a loss of military tradition within those communities. If you meet any of the groups going off to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, and so on, invariably when you ask them where they are from you find that there has been a military tradition in that town or location. We have to keep that in mind in terms of recruitment and retention into the future. However I take the Deputy's point on accommodation.
