We had a discussion a short time ago about specialist staff. Connected to that is the whole issue of cadet training and their experience. There is the issue of entry-level cadet pay. It has been well flagged by RACO, including at the conference a few weeks ago, and the fact that it has not kept pace with some of the other increases in the system.

While I appreciate that more progress needs to be made, the Deputy is aware that there has been significant progress overall in terms of pay and conditions for Defence Forces personnel, particularly over the past six years. A school-leaver cadet, on commissioning, was paid €30,884 in January 2019. As of 1 August 2025 a school-leaver cadet, on commissioning to second lieutenant is paid €45,795, which is an increase of 49% or over €14,000 in the past six years. After two years in that rank they are promoted to lieutenant and their pay increases to €51,184. In May 2019, a newly qualified three-star private could have expected to earn €27,759 gross per annum on completion of their initial training. That has now increased to €41,880 per annum. Where a graduate joins, the pay rate on commissioning begins at €51,184. These rates all include a 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.

In the conversation surrounding the pay and conditions of members of the Defence Forces, it is important to point out that in addition to basic pay and military service allowance, certain positions in the Defence Forces also attract specialist and technical pay. Additionally there is scope for further income from duty allowances for specific duties carried out, on an ongoing basis, as well as the possibility of earning a tax-free duty allowance, starting at €15,000, for a six-month overseas deployment. As the Deputy is also aware, different pay scales also apply during the training period for both cadets and recruits.

The matter of cadet pay has been raised by the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO. I understand that a claim has been received from RACO, which is being dealt with specifically under the conciliation and arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force and is the subject of correspondence between the Department and the representative association. The Deputy will appreciate that as discussions under the conciliation and arbitration scheme are confidential to the parties involved, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the specifics of the claim. I look forward to constructive engagement between the parties to the scheme.

Interest in a career in the Defence Forces continues to grow. There was a total of 13,348 applicants for entry into the Defence Forces in 2024, of which 1,795 were for the cadets.

The Minister said a while ago that she was going to meet all the representative organisations. I welcome that and hope that includes not only those for the Permanent Defence Force but also those for the Reserve Defence Force and the veterans' organisations. I am sure RACO will raise this issue with the Minister. The information she gave was in the longer run, when they are qualified and reach a certain rank. The issue here is at entry level. A cadet who joins - up to the age of 39 - earns €25,748 annually, or approximately €493 per week. A recruit in the enlisted ranks earns €540 per week in the first ten weeks, increasing to €617 for the following 16 weeks, and, after approximately six months, €860 per week. While it is obviously welcome that recruit pay has increased in general terms cadets' entry pay has not kept pace and they earn significantly less than their enlisted counterparts for the duration of a multiyear training programme. That anomaly needs to be considered.

Yes, I intend to meet them in the new year and really look forward to meeting them. I also had an opportunity to meet and speak with cadets who were quite literally mid-training when I was in the Curragh last week.

There were some who had completely changed their career paths because they were passionate about joining the Defence Forces. There were others whose siblings had been members as well and they wanted to join. It was wonderful to see the commitment and the fact that they were there because it was something they were passionate about.

I appreciate that the entry point for cadets in training is lower. They receive board and food. That is a cost that is taken away from them. It depends on the different cadetships; they are anywhere from 15 to 18 months long. Some may take longer, so there are implications more broadly. The process that is engaged in at the moment is an important step to try to make progress where we can specifically in relation to this level of pay scale. The overall improvements we have seen over the years have come about because of the need and commitment to invest in the men and women as they are training, but also as they rise through the ranks. I am committed to making further progress on that where we can and to working closely with the organisations and representative groups. They are now part of ICTU. With the public sector pay agreements, it gives the Defence Forces an opportunity to make sure that they are now represented at the table. That is a welcome development in recent years.