Defence Forces: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-21
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Fiona O'Loughlin (FF), Administrative Panel

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, for being here for a very important motion from the Fianna Fáil grouping. We have seen significant progress in recruitment and retention over the last number of years. Year on year, for the past three years, we have seen recruitment increase, which is important. It is also important to acknowledge the ongoing innovation by senior military management and the Department of Defence in relation to structures and methodology on recruitment and retention. It is a job worth doing. Our gratitude, thanks and respect must go to the men and women who serve in the Defence Forces at home and abroad. We are increasingly proud of them.
Senators across the Chamber want to see the Government investing in the people in our Defence Forces and in our infrastructure, equipment and command and control structures to create Defence Forces that are ready to face the challenges we face in the strange geopolitical world we are in at the moment. We would be wrong not to note that there are challenges. There are well documented challenges right across the service. It has to be a priority to address those and show the men and women serving in Óglaigh na hÉireann that we respect them and want to make sure they have proper pay and conditions.
In a competitive labour market with full employment, there are always going to be challenges. We are bound to see people leaving different types of employment in order to take up other opportunities. The reason my colleagues and I brought this motion forward was to highlight some areas the Minister and the Government could focus on to help meet those challenges. Up to November last, a total of 15,781 applications were received. This shows that there is interest in joining the Defence Forces. The challenge is to convert those applications into inductions. In that context, the Minister has spoken about the workforce plan, which we await with anticipation. We certainly hope it is going to help.
As for the specifics of the motion, we are looking for an evaluation of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 in the context of its impact on retention of personnel in the Defence Forces. Of course, this matter does not just relate to the Defence Forces because gardaí and firefighters have spoken about it as well. It is important to state that we consulted RACO and PDFORRA on all the recommendations we have included in the motion.
The second recommendation in the motion is that the disparity in pension entitlements for personnel who enlisted after 1994 and before 2024 has to be addressed. There is a particular adverse circumstance for personnel who enlisted during that period in that they do not receive the entitlement to 13 weeks’ of pre-retirement leave or the 78 weeks’ worth of gratuity awarded to personnel on newer pension schemes. This has to be addressed.
The third recommendation concerns the appointment of an adjudicator to the conciliation and arbitration scheme for the Permanent Defence Force. The Minister referenced that, and it is important. It is time to act on this matter. There is a recommendation in this regard. The position of adjudicator has been vacant four times in the past six years.
The fourth recommendation relates to the Defence Forces chaplain. We all remember the heinous attack on Fr. Paul Murphy, which underscored the vulnerability of those who are serving in this role. We and the representative organisations want to see this addressed, as it needs to be.
The fifth recommendation is on the commencement of adjustments to pay and allowances as agreed under the local bargaining arrangements of the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026. This is simply overdue, and we owe it to the Defence Forces to get on with it.
The sixth recommendation relates to the establishment of a specialist pay review body outside local bargaining provisions to consider the appropriateness of current rates of technical pay for specialists. The Commission on the Defence Forces recommended the introduction of a mechanism in this regard. It is really important, and I urge the Minister to ensure that this happens.
Improvements in initial cadet pay is our seventh recommendation. It remains the lowest in the Defence Forces at just €493 per week compared with €540 for a recruit and €617 for a two-star trainee. We also call for a review of the current duty pay system. From our engagement with PDFORRA in particular, we know this is a key issue. We need to have that and the implementation of the third strand of the working time directive dealt with. I add to that the need for an examination of the introduction of long service increments and the rank of lance corporal.
I will use the remaining 30 seconds to address two issues pertaining to Kildare. As Senators know, Kildare is the home and the heart of the Defence Forces. There is a small issue there which would mean an awful lot if it was addressed, namely the opening of the Curragh swimming pool to current and former personnel and their families and to local schools. When Micheál Martin was Minister for Defence, it was agreed that if an investment of €250,000 was made in respect of the swimming pool, it would be reopened to these groups. Two and a half years later, this has not happened. We need it to happen, and we also need action in respect of the Curragh plains. The Department of Defence is currently responsible for managing the plains, but an agreement has been made to the effect that this responsibility should move elsewhere. We need action in respect of that matter.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:31+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-21