Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018
110. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the estimated cost of reversing the 2012 decision to reduce the wage of new recruits in the Defence Forces by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8267/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are various factors which would impact on calculating the estimated costings in the manner sought by the Deputy. These include the level of recruitment which varies over time and the numbers of recruits remaining in the Permanent Defence Force once recruited. As both of these are variable, I am not in a position to provide an estimate of the costing given the changes in rates, the movement of personnel along scales and improvements in payscales for certain ranks that has taken place in the intervening period.
The Deputy may wish to note that Paragraph 2.31 of that Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (Haddington Road Agreement) provides that in order to address the imbalance between those who entered the Public Service since 2011 and those who entered before that date, revised incremental salary scales shall be prepared for same grade entrants to each public service sector as necessary to incorporate the revision of salary scales introduced by Government Decision in January 2011.
Following discussions with the Public Sector Unions the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform issued guidelines dated 30 January 2014, on merging the 01 January 2011 and 01 January 2010 (10% reduction) public service recruitment pay scales. The new scales were effective from 1 November 2013 and applied to both existing staff on the 2010 pay scale and those who were on the 2011 pay scale.
In addition, improved payscales for general service recruits and privates who joined the Permanent Defence Force post 1 January 2013, were agreed in separate negotiations with PDFORRA. The revised payscales were backdated to 1 July 2016 and paid in August 2017.
The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 provides for further increases in pay ranging from 6.2% to 7.4% over the lifetime of the agreement. The agreement was accepted by the members of the Permanent Defence Force Representative Associations in December 2017. The first increase of 1% in annualised salaries due under the agreement from 1 January 2018 was incorporated in the weekly pay of 7 February 2018 for enlisted personnel. Increases and arrears due for officers are scheduled for inclusion in the February monthly salary payment.
