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LAST UPDATE | 23 Sep 2019
OFFICER GRADE MEMBERS of the Defence Forces have today voted to accept Public Service Pay Commission proposals for a €10 million package of allowances.
The government has said the €10 million package will make Irish military careers ‘more attractive’.
At the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco) annual conference in Naas, Co Kildare, today, delegates were asked to decide whether to accept or reject the offer.
The delegates have accepted the offer.
Raco has called on the government to significantly increase Defence Forces salary levels to address what it has described as a “recruitment and retention crisis”.
The Permanent Defence Forces has a designated strength of 9,500 but currently there are only 8,653 personnel.
There have been 558 discharges in 2019.
Raco has said even with an aspirational 700 inductions each year, the Defence Forces will never reach the designated strength at the current turnover rate.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has welcomed the decision by Raco to accept the report by the Independent Public Service Pay Commission.
“It’s good news that Raco has agreed to accept the pay package on offer,” Varadkar said.
“It will result in take home pay for Defence Forces personnel from this year. That will help with retention which is a real challenge at present,” he said.
“We are committed to building on that further in the next public service pay deal. Strengthening our Defence Forces will take time but I am more confident today that we are back on track.”
The proposals do not include a change to base pay. Instead the pay rise would be seen in the Military Service Allowance – a 10% increase. This would mean a boost in the pay for the vast majority of personnel of between €602 and €675 per year.
The new measures would also see Sunday premium rates returned after a 10% cut to allowances under The Haddington Road Agreement. This allowance was given for activities like security duty, patrol duty allowance for sailors, the Army Ranger Wing Allowance, and explosive ordnance duty.
Tomorrow, Minister of State for Defence Paul Kehoe will address delegates at the conference.
Kehoe has this afternoon also welcomed Raco’s acceptance of the report.
“The decision by RACO to accept the PSPC report is a welcome development. I look forward to engaging with RACO delegates at their biennial conference tomorrow,” Kehoe said.
With reporting by Hayley Halpin
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So the rise in allowances would amount to about 12 euro a week,take out tax,prsi,usc etc and really it doesn’t amount to anything significant, just give the soldiers a decent basic wage,one they can live on and support a family ,not asking too much.
@Honeybee: Would you care to define a. “decent basic wage”? 30k, 35k, 40k p a.?
@John Kennedy: I did,a wage you can live on and support a family.
@Honeybee: No you have not, the average pay of a truck driver in the private sector in Ireland is €32k p.a., so how much do you think we should pay a 3 star private on point 4 of the payscale who is an army truck driver on €33k p.a.
@John Kennedy: What would you call a Politician decent wage ?
@Honeybee: Then why pay serving Military F.I.S. ??
@John Kennedy: Why not
@John Kennedy: about €120k going on government figures for affordable housing
That graph must be deliberately obscure to confuse the enemy.
@Squiddley Diddley: 10% turnover rate suggests 10% leave and are replaced, the phrase doesn’t imply decline, but if it is 10% decline, hence the big green downward slope, sure an alteration to 5% would just reduce that downward slope, not give a ski-jump effect?
@Squiddley Diddley: Simple most of the Military units we have are by international stands non effective , in other words just on paper.
@Paul Whelan: who says that, you?
@Marie Agnew: Mo , mot humber me ,,,,, try this the former Commander of the Military mission in Mali . The sort of guy who would know , wouldn’t you agree ?
@Marie Agnew: good girl Marie
@Paul Whelan: pardon?
@Vocal Outrage: Granted
@Paul Whelan: you know what I meant, your previous comment was gibberish to back up a claim that the army doesn’t have effective units. Just admit you can’t back up your claim
@Vocal Outrage: Ok
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/opinion/we-cannot-let-effectiveness-of-our-defence-forces-slip-1.3845965%3fmode=amp
@Vocal Outrage: If your really interested look up Ex Irish General Gerrard Ahern , he made the comment at a press conference.
This works out at about an additional 30 cents per hour, somehow I can’t see anybody getting too excited about that.
Well it isn’t conscription.. join if you wish! Don’t if you dont wish..
@GerryCummins: the problem is people are doing just that, they don’t like it and hence are leaving. The challenge is to make the role more attractive, and one of the options for that is higher pay to compete with the private sector
@GerryCummins: There not that’s the point . Try keep up.
Benchmark it against the Gardaí and then give them the 10% on top of that. The money is ridiculously low.
@Rob Devine: reduce numbers by 50% add an extra 2000 guards. Defence forces not needed in numbers we have and that’s excluding numbers in dept defence admin roles
@Rob Devine: are you saying to pay them 10% on top of what gardai are paid?
@Seaniecp: yes when deployed with the UN, risk pay.
@Diarmaid O’Riordáin: have you answered his question with your own answer? The article isn’t about UN duty as such. I do believe the DF should be paid better. I do. But if you want to go down the route of ‘risk’ I think the day to day risk of a guard is higher than a DF member. They are non comparable jobs in terms of pay pariety. More power to the DF fighting their own conditions but it’s more appropriate fighting it on their own job merit.
@Rob Devine: The average pay of a Garda is €62k p.a. so you think we should pay a private soldier €68k p.a. ?
@John Kennedy: if they do similar hours then yes
@Vocal Outrage: similar hours? If I work similiar hours jn my local newsagent should I expect over 60k. Or maybe more appropriately in any public sector job.. What have jobs hours got to do with it. They are completely different job descriptions with different demands.
@james foley: Brilliant , you know many guards who can man a ship and board another at sea ??. Do you know many guards who can defuse bombs or can organize a Military operation ?? …Oh bye they way that guards machine gun was handed in when it fell out of their car.
@John Kennedy: Why not pay them the recommended scale of pay,,,,,before it was cut . And increase it for inflation .
@Paul Whelan: that sounds fair.
@Seaniecp: and different qualifications and being away from home, and…
@Marie Agnew: yes different job descriptions and demands like I said above. I’m not sure what point your making with me sorry.
@Seaniecp: they are both security related. As we only have one military and one police force in this country, what national benchmark would you suggest? It’s a best fit comparison
@Vocal Outrage: I don’t suggest any. I just know they are massivly different jobs and the level of pay could be decided independently without having to benchmark it guards. ‘National security’ is way to basic of a point. They are bot the same job. You have veered from your original ridiculous point about similar hours anyway so….
If there’s a problem with retention of personnel. A rise of 10t12 euro a week before tax is not going to solve it.
RACO press release omitted their members salary structure (including range of benefits and allowances, early pension, free medical, accommodation, gym, silver service canteens, bar, transport pool, elongated annual leave, etc :
https://www.defence.ie/rates-pay-and-allowances-permanent-defence-forces
@Dean: The Guards , Fire men , receive early pensions , because you can hardly expect a 68 year old to do the functions of a soldier on active service . Your gym is true there one in each barracks used for training Troops, to breaking point , that’s how we have one of the best Defence forces in the world. You should try it some time if you ever get out of the FG HQ. It might make a man of you.
@Paul Whelan: reporting fake account
@Dean: You big gil , that will know off most of your FG buddies ha ha
And only for officers, not “ other ranks”
@Dave O’Shea: the €10 is actually for all ranks, it’s just that the officers body is discussing it at the moment. In fact, the highest level of increase, although still an actual low level of €12 per week, is for privates.
@Vocal Outrage: €10 million, spreading just €10 across the army could be seen as tricky
Yeah…is 8600 still too many?
@Aire Dezamba: no it’s 1000 too short.
That 8600 covers the largest sea economic zone in the EU for air and sea, multiple security and ATCP tasks on island. A 10% overseas contingent projecting Ireland on the world stage and helping people who can’t help themselves, in addition to the other 10% preparing to deploy. Take account of the fact of what it takes to train mechanics, engineers, weapons experts, cyber experts, intelligence/SOF personnel to name but a few of a military’s capabilities, it is under strength as the states key strategic reserve. It is an extremely cheap asset for what it provides/can provide. Lowest GDP to Defence spend than 99% of EU. Not to mention the ability for a Govt to have a state arm 100% loyal/capable to any requirement. 9500 is a minimum
@Aire Dezamba: Depends , how many you think we need to guard pur new EU boarder on land and sea ?
@Paul Whelan: more obviously, but that may end up being a multinational deployment.
@Patrick Swan: You mean we be a failed 3rd world state , that be a great achievement for FF,FG .
Imagine if politicians needed to work this hard to get a pay rise? Or as hard as the Gardaí? Or nurses? Or… etc. etc.
At least we can see the good work the others do. When they lie, cheat or manipulate us we can take legal action. Lastly, when they make mistakes in their jobs they are accountable.
Imagine if politicians needed to work this hard to get a pay rise…
As it’s not a salary increase will pensions not increase?
Can you feel it burning in the air tonight. Election. Election. Election.
@Thomas: Mr Martin says NO……cant risk his leaders allowance ha ha ha
Over night the Gov’t found 65 million for asylum seekers accommodation contracts ha ha ha
Bull shit , its 3 million , the other 7 is a wards already made but not paid. The Guards got 11 million for Trumps 3 day visit. Why do we need a Defence Forces ……its seems your about to find out.
@Paul Whelan: I hope not, but yes we may find out the hard way!! Back to the border with ya!!
@Marie Agnew: A dead cert o say , now considering FG , has most of our troops in Dublin and Cork general areas . There be a stampede out the barracks gates . And i would not blame them.
How much does it cost to feed , train , and equip the people who are not staying in the Military. How much does it cost
in manpower training staff , fuel , Etc. And why not just give them that wasted
money . 700 a year mush be a pricey FG f. ..ck up.
Stupid decision, 90 cents a day …..very short sighted.
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