The minister of defence is to examine the ruling of a Council of Europe body that Ireland is in breach of a European charter for not paying allowances to personnel for working public holidays or overtime. The European Committee on Social Rights (ECSR) said Ireland is “in violation” of the European Social Charter for not compensating personnel for working on public holidays and over the lack of overtime. Defence Forces’ representative bodies, who took the case through a European military association in 2022, welcomed the ruling and called on the department of defence to enter into discussions about implementation. In a statement the department said the minister, Helen McEntee, “notes” the findings of the committee and said Ireland is committed to upholding the principles in the European Social Charter. It said: “Furthermore, additional or irregular hours are compensated through allowances and structured systems of compensatory rest.

Source: Irish Examiner February 10, 2026 06:25 UTC