Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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273. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the recently advertised assistant secretary post will mean an increase in the number of assistant secretaries in his Department; if so, the reason for this expansion; and the date on which it was approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. [21318/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Management Board of the Department of Defence currently comprises of the Secretary General, two Assistant Secretaries and a Director.  The Department is involved in the delivery of a major programme of policy implementation as set out in the White Paper on Defence. The Department of Defence is engaged in all aspects of Defence policy, from international security and defence, future planning, procurement, property management, human resources and industrial relations, litigation and legislation. The work of the Department also includes financial planning and oversight for the sector and national emergency planning and Civil Defence.

In light of this expanding remit and to ensure best practice in corporate governance, sanction was received on 15 December 2016 from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for an additional Management Board post at Assistant Secretary level. Working in close collaboration with military colleagues, this post will increase the focus on having in place a military and civilian workforce that best delivers Defence outputs in accordance with assigned roles and responsibilities. The cost of the appointment is being met from within the Department’s existing resource envelope.