Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2019
114. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the position regarding privates and corporals in the Defence Forces who are reaching 25 years of service in 2019; the arrangements in place to allow them continue to serve providing they pass fitness requirements; if the process is in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17579/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraArising from an adjudication in 2015, the adjudicator recommended that a review be conducted on the service limits for Privates and Corporals recruited to the Defence Forces post 1 January 1994. This adjudication resulted from a claim from PDFORRA seeking extensions in the service of these personnel to age 50. While the adjudicator did not rule in favour of PDFORRA, he did recommend an extension of service limits for certain Privates and Corporals pending completion of the review.
This recommended review is now being subsumed into a broader review of service limits for enlisted personnel, as provided for in the White Paper on Defence. The service extension for Privates and Corporals, enlisted post 1 January 1994, has been revised accordingly, to the end of December 2022, provided the individual meets certain criteria, including medical grades and fitness tests and does not exceed 50 years of age in that time frame. This measure has been agreed with PDFORRA.
