Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to answer questions Nos. 12 to 17, inclusive, together.

The high-level action plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces sets out initial implementation and oversight structures. It was agreed by the Government on 12 July 2022. Under the action plan, a high-level steering board will oversee the implementation of the report's recommendations. In addition to supporting and guiding the implementation, the board will also act as a clearing house for issues or blockages in the implementation of the Commission's recommendations.

The steering board will be chaired by the Secretary General of my Department. Membership of the board will include the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, the Secretaries General of the Departments of Defence, Justice, Foreign Affairs, Public Expenditure and Reform and the Environment, Climate and Communications, as well as the Chair of the implementation oversight group. It would not be anticipated that the board will meet until the implementation process has had some time to get under way.

The independently chaired implementation oversight group will oversee and drive progress with regard to the implementation of the recommendations of the commission. Significant work is progressing on the early actions and the development of the implementation plan. To support this work, the implementation oversight group met for the first time on 3 October, with a further two meetings due to take place before the end of the year.

A civil-military implementation management office has been established to support the implementation of the overall programme required to implement recommendations from the commission's report. The initial focus of the office is the implementation of the 38 early actions as set out in the high-level action plan and the development of an implementation plan within six months of the Government decision in July. Reporting mechanisms have been established to facilitate regular progress on the early actions.

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