Re-Enlistment Permanent Defence Forces

These terms and conditions are to establish a generic framework to be applied on the occasion where former enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF), with particular skillsets that are not available in the PDF at that time, make an application for re-enlistment in the PDF.

The re-enlistment shall only be considered in circumstances where there is a requirement, identified by the Chief of Staff, arising in terms of a deficiency in personnel, military capability or expertise in the PDF that cannot be resolved in a sustainable or timely manner from within existing personnel resources within the relevant Service or Corps. The Chief of Staff will make a recommendation to the Minister on the merits of any application, in serving to address such a deficiency in the PDF.

Approval for the re-enlistment of former PDF personnel rests solely with the Minister, on the advice of the Chief of Staff. The Ministers decision in such cases shall be final.

Any former enlisted member of the PDF applying for re-enlistment under these arrangements must satisfy the following requirements:

i) meet the medical classification and grading as set out in the provisions of Defence Force Regulations A12;

ii) meet such educational, certification, and professional requirements for the relevant appointment to which they are to be re-enlisted;

iii) applicants with more than two years’ service should have a minimum military conduct rating of ‘good’ upon previous discharge from PDF, applicants with less than two years previous service may be considered for eligibility on the basis of possessing a conduct rating of not less than ‘fair’ on discharge.

iv) pass such security clearance requirements as may be determined by the Chief of Staff from time to time.

Persons who are not eligible to apply include those who:

• have already retired from the public service on medical grounds, or

• were otherwise compulsorily retired from the PDF, or

• are in receipt of a disability pension/allowance from any source, or

• have a minimum potential service of not less than 6 months to serve to normal retiring age for the rank (as set out in Defence Force Regulations A10).

Where the Minister approves the re-enlistment of a former enlisted member of the PDF, the following shall apply:

• He/she shall be re-enlisted at the substantive rank at which he/she had retired.

• Starting pay on re-enlistment will be at the corresponding point on the pay scale that was applicable immediately prior to his/her retirement.

• He/she will be required to undertake an Induction Programme, to be determined by the Chief of Staff.

• The specific terms and conditions applicable under these arrangements, including rates of pay, allowances, occupational pension scheme terms and conditions, employee pension contributions, Social Insurance class, etc., will be determined on the basis of the applicant’s public service employment history to date.

• The individual will be re-enlisted for an initial period of up to three years’ service (but not less than six months). Decisions regarding the period of re-enlistment to be offered rests with the Minister.

• During the three year period, the individual shall not be eligible to apply for or be considered for promotion to any higher rank but, without prejudice to the entitlement of others, may have access to career courses (with the exception of PNCO course) and overseas deployment (subject to selection criteria published from time to time and dependent on the duration of the enlistment). During this initial three year period of appointment, the individual will be posted to a temporary appointment.

• Personnel who re-enlist under these terms and conditions will not be required to pay discharge by purchase rates if they leave of their own volition at any during their initial period of re-enlistment up to 3 years. They may, however, be subject to incur an additional specific undertaking for training provided during that period, should they undertake such training.

• Two months prior to the completion of the period of enlistment and on foot of an application from the individual concerned, an extension to the period of enlistment may be offered to the individual concerned, subject to the recommendation of Chief of Staff to the Minister as to the suitability of the applicant for such appointment in terms of continuing to address a deficiency in military capability or expertise in the PDF and a suitable vacancy existing in the establishment. In reaching this decision, the Minister may take into account any other matters as he considers appropriate and reasonable in the case and his decision in such cases shall be final.

• Where the individual receives the extension to the period of enlistment, and the aggregate period of re-enlistment exceeds three years, previous service in respect of that individual but excluding the aggregate period of three years served on re-enlistment will thereafter be reckonable in respect of eligibility for future promotion competitions.

• The following pension(s) will be immediately subject to abatement* in accordance with the relevant Defence Forces pension scheme rules and/or Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 (the 2012 Act):

– any Defence Forces occupational pension that is currently in payment to the applicant, or that comes into payment to him/her during the period of re-employment, and

– any other civil or public service occupational pension already in payment to the applicant, or that comes into payment to him/her during the period of re-employment.

*Reduction, suspension or otherwise as the case may be. Further information in relation to Permanent Defence Force occupational pensions is attached at Annex A.

ANNEX A

PDF OCCUPATIONAL PENSION SCHEME TERMS

Members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) may qualify for occupational pension and retirement gratuity (i.e. superannuation benefits) subject to certain terms and conditions.

The main defined benefits under the PDF superannuation schemes are:

• occupational pension,

• retirement gratuity (lump sum) or death in service gratuity, and

• spouses’/civil partner’s and children’s contributory pensions.

On re-joining the PDF, a person’s specific occupational pension terms will be determined under the relevant legislation based on their public service employment history to date, e.g.:

• whether they were employed in a pensionable job elsewhere in the public service immediately before re-joining the PDF; or

• how long they have been out of public service pensionable employment since retiring from the PDF.

Note:

Payment of a retired member’s existing Defence Forces pension ceases immediately from the date of re-joining the PDF, for the duration of their re-enlistment. Payment will resume on the date immediately following final retirement/discharge date (see FAQ).

All persons joining the public service as (post-1/1/2013) new entrants are required to pay appropriate personal pension contributions (PPC) from salary towards their superannuation benefits. As a result, PPC higher pay scales/allowances apply to enlisted personnel joining (or re-joining) the PDF on or after 1 January 2013 as members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.

Enlisted personnel in the PDF are also insurable for full PRSI and, on that basis, their occupational pensions are integrated with the Social Insurance code.

Integration means that entitlement to the range of Social Insurance benefits is taken into account when calculating the amount of occupational pension payable. Under standard public service arrangements, integration of occupational pension with the Social Insurance system begins from the time the occupational pension starts payment. The occupational pension is reduced from the start by a Social Insurance (State Pension Contributory) offset, regardless of whether the person has reached State Pension age. Integration applies to occupational pension benefits and employee pension contributions, but not to retirement lump sum. Modified integration arrangements apply to enlisted personnel under the pre-April 2004 Defence Forces pension schemes.

All public servants must also pay an Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC) at appropriate rates. (The ASC replaced the ‘Pension-Related Deduction’ with effect from 1 January 2019.)

In general, all new entrants to the PDF and the public service who join on or after 1 January 2013 are required to be members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. The main exception is where, on re-joining the public service on or after 1 January 2013, a person has worked in pensionable (non-Single Scheme) public service employment in the 26 weeks immediately prior to re-joining: they will resume membership of the relevant pre-2013 pension scheme.

For PDF members, key provisions of the Single Scheme include:

• It is a Public Service defined benefit scheme, based on Career-Average Earnings.

• Retirement benefits are based primarily on % of pensionable earnings throughout a person’s public service career as a Single Pension Scheme member.

• The vesting period is 24 months.

• Minimum pension age is 50.

• Members pay a 7.5% employee contribution plus ASC.

• Occupational pension is subject to integration with the Social Insurance system.

Different pension scheme terms may apply where the applicant:

(i) has worked in a pensionable public service post (non-Single Scheme) in the 26 weeks immediately prior to re-enlistment, or

(ii) immediately before 1 January 2013 was in pensionable public service employment and is currently on a career break or special leave.

The Single Scheme and pre-2013 schemes are mutually exclusive. Pre-2013 benefits cannot be transferred into the Single Scheme and vice versa. Existing pre-2013 benefits remain under their original scheme rules. Aggregation of previous pre-2013 pensionable service with any new pre-2013 service after re-enlistment is subject to the 40-year cap.

Declarations and pension accrual

Under the 2012 Act, former PDF members who re-enlist must declare:

• any prior public service;

• any existing Public Service retirement benefit (in payment or preserved);

• any other Public Service remuneration;

• any employment where they received payment-in-lieu of pension.

Payment of a retired member’s existing Defence Forces pension ceases immediately on re-joining the PDF and resumes immediately after final retirement/discharge.

Any other civil or public service pension already in payment, or that comes into payment during re-employment, is subject to abatement under the 2012 Act.

The Act also applies the 40-year limit on total service counted towards occupational pension where a person has been a member of more than one pre-2013 pension scheme.

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