500 members of Defence Forces due for compulsory retirement given contract extensions

Up to 500 soldiers, sailors and aircrews who were supposed to be compulsorily retired next year are to be given a three-year extension to their contracts.

500 members of Defence Forces due for compulsory retirement given contract extensions

Up to 500 soldiers, sailors and aircrews who were supposed to be compulsorily retired next year are to be given a three-year extension to their contracts.

If the extensions were not granted it could have been "catastrophic" for the Defence Forces, which is already suffering a serious and highly-publicised retention crisis.

The move follows successful talks through conciliation and arbitration between the Department of Defence and PDForra, the organisation representing more than 6,000 enlisted personnel in the Defence Forces.

Shorter term contracts of five years at a time were introduced by the Department of Defence in 1994. This was done in an effort to lower the age profile of the Defence Forces, which at the time was considered to have too many older personnel and not enough young blood. The contracts were extended over time, but the maximum cut-off date was decided by the Department of Defence to be 2020.

PDForra was still a fledgling association when the five-year contracts came into force, but it opposed them and for the last 20 years has fought a battle to have the 2020 deadline extended. For the past year, the association was involved in detailed talks with Department of Defence officials to get a three-year additional contract for personnel who are highly trained and still deemed fit enough to do their jobs. Agreement has now been reached between both parties.

PDForra general secretary, Gerard Guinan, said the 1994 contracts "introduced a large degree of insecurity of tenure".

Even getting contracts extended when their five-year term came to an end proved problematic. Mr Guinan said that in some cases they were "only achieved at the last minute".

Now up to 500 enlisted personnel have security of tenure up to 2023. They will include Line Privates, Privates in receipt of Group 1 and 2 Technicians Pay, and Corporals.

Mr Guinan described the outcome of the talks as "a win, win" situation for both sides. He said that on average 8.1% of experienced Defence Forces personnel voluntarily leave the organisation every year, many to get better pay and conditions in the private sector: "We pointed out (to the Department of Defence) that a cliff was coming if 500 Post 94 personnel had to be discharged in December 2020. Bearing in mind the numbers already leaving on an annual basis to add an additional compulsory discharge of so many into the mix would have been an absolute catastrophe for the Defence Forces."

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