Minister Coveney: Defence Forces members will receive €1,000 Covid-19 bonus by Christmas

Members of the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF) are set to get the €1,000 special Covid-19 pandemic bonus before Christmas.

Defence Minister Simon Coveney made the comments while speaking at the annual delegate conference for Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO) in Naas, County Kildare, and added that he too was 'personally frustrated' that it hasn’t happened before now.

He said his department was working with management to ensure first payments would be made on December 14.

He told those in attendance at the conference: "As you will be aware, earlier this year, the government announced a Covid-19 recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic."

"I can assure you that every effort is being made to ensure that pandemic recognition payments are made to eligible PDF members in the shortest possible time frame."

Mr Coveney also revealed that reintroducing a €5,455 specialised instructors’ allowance is being considered, given hiring challenges.

He said he saw value in this RACO demand due to an expected increase in recruitment, although it would bring challenges because it had been 'bought out.'

'NOT REALISTIC OR ACHIEVABLE'

Lt Col Conor King, General Secretary of RACO, warned Minister Coveney that the defence forces organisation had become a 'leaky bucket that no amount of water has been able to fill', citing a major crisis in trying to retain staff.

He warned that the Government aim to achieve a minimum strength of 11,500 was 'not realistic or achievable'.

Lt Col King also insisted that the 'honest' figure for the size of the defence forces was 7,752.

In response, the Minister acknowledged that recruitment and retention was a key challenge.

However, he denied there was an 'exodus' of doctors from the PDF.

Minister Coveney said the government had committed to the largest funding hike for defence ever seen in the State's history, increasing the defence budget to €1.5 billion by 2028.

The Fine Gael politician also said a judge-led independent review group was seen as a 'vital' first step to ensure there was 'zero tolerance” of unacceptable behaviour.'