Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The high-level action plan is the document the Deputy will need to have a look at. The plan itemises 38 early actions and there is a range of other actions that go beyond this as well.

Deputy Bruton raised some specifics, the first being applying the working time directive to the Defence Forces. We have made a lot of progress on that this year. We are, effectively, finalising the consultation process at the moment. This involves the general staff, the Department and representative bodies in the Defence Forces to make sure we get the balance right between the necessary exemptions to the working time directive that have to be there to allow the Defence Forces to operate as the Defence Forces, while at the same time limiting those to the essential areas that are necessary, so the working time directive applies to the vast majority of the work the Defence Forces do.

On advertising for the positions of head of transformation and head of HR, we now have approval from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which we must get before we can advertise new posts, particularly at this level. The head of transformation will be a senior post in the Defence Forces, reporting to the Chief of Staff. We now have the green light from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to advertise that early next month. I believe it will be advertised on 6 December. Advertising for the role of head of HR will follow closely after that, which I believe will be on 16 December. I may stand corrected on those dates, which I cite just from memory. Either way, both positions will be advertised in December: one early in December and one around mid-December. These two key roles will be filled by civilian experts, who will then be part of the Defence Forces structure that focuses on the transformation that is needed and on the HR challenges we have discussed this morning. They are specific actions. Those positions will be advertised in the next few weeks.

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