Thank you very much for your comments, Ms. Thibault.
I am going to ask Linda to help me with the technical questions regarding EX positions that require bilingualism.
It is possible that people are being appointed to acting positions who do not meet all the requirements of the position, including those relating to bilingualism. These appointments are for periods of four months or less and are carried out in order to ensure that operational requirements can be met. There are also other circumstances under which this is allowed; for example, for someone in language training. In such cases, another type of compensation is requested.
We expect people to meet the requirements of their position. If the position requires of the incumbent that he be bilingual, he must be bilingual. Otherwise, there must be a compensation.
The report refers to a mechanism for monitoring standards that enables us to determine when people do not meet bilingualism requirements. That mechanism also ensures that the exemptions system is properly used and that there is follow-up.
This is in response to a question Mr. Sauvageau has often asked us. Last year, we identified 600 cases of incumbents that did not meet the requirements of their position. At the present time, there are more than 800. These cases do not all involve all EX positions. I am not aware of the numbers for the EX category, but specific requirements and processes have been established.
It is possible to obtain an exemption for an upcoming position in order to ensure that operational requirements can be met. For example, some individuals may be exempted for two years, but after a specific period of time, a new position must be found for them. It is our intention to monitor the situation very closely. We have requested plans. We have a case tracking system that will allow us to resolve this issue.
Do you have anything to add, Linda?