Ms Oonagh McPhillips:

An ongoing and key aspect of the change programme is the restructuring of the Department. We have engaged external experts to help us evaluate the broad structure and advise on how it could be more effectively organised to deliver on strategic and business objectives. The report was submitted to the management board in October 2017 and its primary recommendation on restructuring the Department into two portfolios - home affairs and justice and equality - was agreed. The restructuring is a key priority and an implementation group has commenced work, which will assist the work of the independent effectiveness and renewal group appointed by the Minister in January. This group, chaired by Mr. Pádraig Ó Ríordáin, has met the Minister and me as well as the management board and is currently engaging with a range of stakeholders.

In line with its terms of reference, the group will assess progress in implementing the recommendations of the Toland report, reviewing the structure and culture of the Department and examining the relationship between the Department and An Garda Síochána. The group will provide progress reports to the Government and the Oireachtas, the first of which is due at the end of June, with quarterly reports thereafter. The Minister will then provide a progress report and recommendations for any further action in the first quarter of 2019. We will continue to engage with and fully support the group in its important work.

Members will be aware that the report of the independent review of the Department's response to requests for documents from the disclosures tribunal was published at the end of March. I cannot trespass on the tribunal's ongoing deliberations, but I note the finding that there was no attempt to conceal information from it and that officials acted at all times in good faith. It is also reassuring that the review found no evidence of any failure to comply with orders from the tribunal. It is of course a matter of concern that emails were not located as part of the discovery process and we are putting new measures in place. I believe I have read the rest of this section before, so I will not do so again, if that is all right with the Chairman.

The final part of my submission relates to the post of Secretary General. As deputy secretary, I became acting Secretary General.