106. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Defence if she will outline any improvements to pay and working conditions for members of the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32728/26]

At the outset, I would like to highlight the significant progress that the government has made on pay and conditions for Defence Force personnel, particularly over the last five years.

In October 2020, a newly qualified three-star Private could have expected to earn €29,326 gross per annum, on completion of his/her initial training.

Following the implementation of a number of pay related Commission on Defence Forces recommendations, coupled with ongoing pay increases being applied as part of national pay agreements, at present a three-star Private, on completion of recruit training (which takes approximately 24 weeks), starts at:

• €42,465 in Year 1

• €43,890 in Year 2

• €45,204 in Year 3

Equally, for the Officer cohort, a 2nd Lieutenant - entry rank for school leaver cadet on commissioning - was paid €37,664 in October 2020. As of 01 February 2026, they are now paid €46,359. After 2 years they are promoted to lieutenant and their pay rises to €51,748.

Where a graduate joins – the pay rate on commissioning begins at €51,748.

These rates all include 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 work in 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, technical pay and service commitment schemes. 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 6 month overseas deployment.

The Deputy may also be aware of the changes to Patrol Duty Allowance for Naval Service personnel which came into effect on 1 January 2024. This measure resulted in the Patrol Duty Allowance being doubled after ten days at sea.

Key changes introduced to broader conditions include extension of private medical care to all personnel; increases to mandatory retirement ages and recruitment ages, and in 2025, the removal of the blanket exemption from the Organisation of the Working Time Act and the extension of a service commitment scheme for pilots in the Air Corps to their Air Traffic Control colleagues.

In addition, with the enactment of the Defence Amendment Act 2024, the Defence Forces Representative Associations have been granted associate membership of ICTU, which enables ICTU to represent them at the national pay talks.

As outlined, positive progress has been made on pay and conditions in the Defence Forces. I will continue to keep pay and conditions under review, to ensure that we continue to attract high calibre personnel into the Defence Forces.