Defence Forces
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Helen McEntee (FG), Meath East

That statement was merely stating the fact that the reports were not legally binding, but it is essential that we respond to the findings and work in accordance with the ECSR. That is something we are committed to.
We have responded to many of the issues raised since that complaint was made. Members of the Defence Forces are compensated for additional or irregular hours through allowances and structured systems of compensatory rest. In addition, a pensionable military service allowance, which is designed to compensate for the special disadvantages associated with military life, such as the long and unsociable hours that many of the members of our Defence Forces work, is paid to all ranks up to the level of colonel. Military service allowance is also a pensionable allowance, so instead of getting the overtime, they get the particular allowance that is in place.
I fully accept this ruling, and I am looking at what we have in place and how Defence Forces members are paid during these holiday periods. I will then examine the matter in the context of the findings of the European Committee on Social Rights to see if there is something more that we need to do. My statement was not to say that we were going to ignore the findings because we did not have a legal obligation. Of course we want to be able to respond to it. I just need to see if what we have now correlates with the committee's ruling overall.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17