Defence Force’s Pay Issues not adequately addressed by Commission Report 

Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has described the Public Service Pay Commission report on Defence Forces pay as inadequate and said that morale in the Forces was now at all-time low.

Responding to the Public Service Pay Commission Report Deputy Crowe said:
 
“The Public Service Pay Commission has stated that its terms of reference prohibit it from considering the issue of core pay for the Defence Forces.
 
“This is despite the fact that key issues in the Defence Forces in relation to pay and allowances have been consistently raised over the years.

Defence Force personnel’s morale is now at an all-time low. Members are leaving the Defence Forces in droves with 540 personnel having left the Naval Service in the past 5 years as evident in the recent controversy where the Irish Navy have had to reduce its capability and put the LE Etienne and LE Orla into dry-dock due to personnel shortages  
 
“It is blatantly obvious that this Government has never been serious about addressing the key issues in relation to pay and with Minister Kehoe at the helm it doesn’t look like anything significant will come from that quarter any time soon.

The Public Service Pay Commission’s terms of reference excluded them from actually addressing this issue, particularly for Defence Forces who do not have a seat at the table for public pay talks.
 
“The Government’s implementation plan provides for a review of pay structures to commence in the medium term, with a long term plan to implement the recommendations of the review that is yet to be established.
 
“This is after a recommendation in the previous report over a year ago that pay would be examined, but again this has been ignored by Government.

“Defence Force members are at the pin of their collar while the Government is stalling and using bureaucracy to addressing the central issue of pay.

“Just three short weeks ago, the Dáil agreed in a motion on this issue that “a permanent and independent Defence Pay Body be established.”
 
“I am calling on the Government to do just that and immediately implement the Dáil resolution on Defence Forces that was passed on June 13th.” ENDS