Apart from routine departmental groups which are established on an ongoing basis, several groups have been established or commissioned by my Department since January 2001.
In January, 2001 Deloitte & Touche was contracted to undertaken a study in relation to the introduction of the management information framework in the Department and the Defence Forces and reported in November, 2001. There are no plans to publish the report.
In March 2001 an independent air accident safety audit of the Air Corps was commissioned, as recommended by the air accident investigation unit report into the Tramore accident. The final report of the consultants, Intercontinental Aviation Consultants, was received in July 2001. There are no plans to publish the report.
In August 2001 a special steering group, comprising members of the Defence Forces and civilian experts, was established to study the nature and extent of bullying-sexual harassment in the Defence Forces, to review existing policies and procedures, to make recommendations on strategies and programmes of awareness and education in the area. The report, known as the Doyle report, was presented in March 2002 and has been made available.
Arising from the publication of the Doyle report, an independent monitoring group, chaired by Dr. Eileen Doyle and which comprises the deputy chief of staff, support, an assistant secretary of the Department and the general secretaries of the representative associations was established. The group is tasked with the co-ordination and management of the implementation process, including the drafting of a full implementation plan to give effect to the fundamental reforms which the report has recommended. There are no plans to publish a report on the work of the group.
Also arising from the recommendations of the Doyle report, an equality steering group was established in September 2002 charged with examining the legislation, statutory instruments, practices, procedures and administrative instructions in the Defence Forces taking account of relevant equality legislation and best practice in employment in Ireland. The group is chaired by a member of the Labour Court and has representatives of the military authorities, the Department and the representative associations. The work of this group is nearing completion. There are no plans to publish the group's final report.