Minister Kehoe Welcomes Increase In Pay For Permanent Defence Force General Service Recruits And Privates

The Minister with Responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe, has welcomed the further increase in pay which recent recruits to the Permanent Defence Force received in their salary this week.

Improved salary scales for new general service recruits and privates who joined the Permanent Defence Force after 1 January 2013 have been implemented, within the provisions of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, following agreement earlier this year with PDFORRA, the representative association for enlisted personnel. The improved payscales are backdated to 1 July 2016.

This increase follows on from recent increases to pay which members of the Permanent Defence Force received recently. This includes a 2.5% increase backdated to 1 January 2016 on annualised salaries of up to €24,000 and 1% for annualised salaries between €24,000 and €31,000, and a €1,000 increase from 1 April 2017 on annualised salaries of up to €65,000

The Minister with Responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe T.D. said:

“The improvements in pay recognise the contribution made by members of the Defence Forces, during the economic crisis, to restoring our public finances and getting the country back on track. In making these improvements, we are ensuring that the increases are weighted in favour of those on lower pay.”In the case of new entrants to the Permanent Defence Force, the combined increases in recent months will have resulted in increases ranging from 8% -24%, depending on their point in their pay scales.

The Minister added: “The Government is committed to the implementation of the Lansdowne Road Agreement which is allowing for a programme of pay restoration for all public servants.”

The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 which is an extension of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, which contains proposals for further increases to pay of between 5 - 7%, over the lifetime of the agreement, with the focus of the proposed increases on the lower paid, is currently under consideration by the Permanent Defence Force Representative Associations.

ENDS