Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
110. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Defence the reason her Department has reportedly refused to pay ARW arrears incurred between 2006 and 2018 despite the awarding of these payments; the number of current and former personnel affected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33171/26]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for the question and I want to confirm that my Department has not refused to pay Army Ranger Wing (ARW) allowance arrears.
An increase in the ARW allowance, backdated to 1 June 2006, was recommended by an Adjudication in 2010, with a further upward review recommended in 2014 and periodic reviews thereafter. However, it was not possible to implement this adjudication at the time due to the operation of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) legislation between 2009 and 2015, which restricted the payment of pay increases and retrospection across the public service.
Following the conclusion of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018–2020, an offer was made to PDFORRA to implement a number of outstanding adjudications, including the ARW allowance adjudication, on a non-retrospective basis with effect from 1 October 2018. This offer was accepted by PDFORRA in September 2019, without prejudice to the Association’s right to pursue legal action on behalf of its members. Accordingly, there is no sanction in place to pay ARW allowance arrears in respect of the period 2006 to 2018 and no arrears remain outstanding in respect of that period.
More recently, the parties, including PDFORRA, agreed to refer the matter of the ARW Allowance to the Defence sector Arbitration Board who recommended in 2023 that the ARW allowance be increased by €200 per month, with an additional 5% increase, with effect from 1 October 2021. This recommendation was sanctioned by the Minister for Defence at the time and the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in July 2023. The Department’s Finance Branch was instructed to implement the increase and the associated back pay to 1 October 2021, and these payments have been processed.
I would also note that the ARW allowance has been increased on a number of occasions in recent years and now stands, following the most recent increase on 1 February 2026, at €317.41 per week for post-2013 enlisted personnel, €304.36 per week for pre-2013 enlisted personnel, and €304.37 per week for officers.
These increases reflect the highly specialist and demanding nature of service in the Army Ranger Wing and the importance of retention of these highly skilled personnel.
