15. (1) The chief executives of the Cork local authorities shall jointly prepare a plan (in this Act referred to as a “staff transfer plan”) setting out—

(a) the number and grades of members of staff of the county council (and the classes to which such members of staff belong) who, before the transfer day, stood assigned to perform functions (whether or not exclusively) in relation to the relevant area, and

(b) the proposals with regard to the transfer of members of staff from the county council to the city council for the purpose of meeting the staffing requirements in relation to the relevant area.

(2) The chief executives of the Cork local authorities shall, in the preparation of a staff transfer plan, have regard to the implementation plan and any recommendations made by the oversight committee under this Act.

(3) Where the chief executives of the Cork local authorities are unable to reach agreement in relation to the preparation of a staff transfer plan, they shall refer the matter or matters that are the subject of the disagreement to the oversight committee who shall make a recommendation to those chief executives in relation thereto.

(4) If the chief executives of the Cork local authorities fail to act in accordance with a recommendation under subsection (3), the Minister may give them a direction as respects the matter or matters that occasioned the making of the recommendation.

(5) The Minister shall, in the giving of a direction under subsection (4), have regard to the size of the population of the relevant area and the proportion that it bore to the population of the administrative area of the county council immediately before the transfer day.

(6) The chief executives of the Cork local authorities shall comply with a direction under subsection (4).

(7) A staff transfer plan may relate to a particular class or classes of members of staff of the Cork local authority concerned determined by reference to—

(a) grade, or

(b) class of operation of, or service provided by, that Cork local authority.

(8) The city council and the county council shall notify the oversight committee in writing of the making of a staff transfer plan under this section.

(9) More than one staff transfer plan may be prepared by the chief executives of the Cork local authorities.