Mr. Justice Alan Mahon:

I will make two points about that. First of all, I would believe it is the case that - and this is clear from what has emerged in relation to the Women of Honour - there is a greater possibility now that bullying and harassment will be the subject of complaints. There is a greater reception, generally, for such complaints. A lot of this is anecdotal, but the Defence Forces are in a better position now and are more prepared to deal with complaints of that nature that are made to them.

The Chair referenced something I said in the 2020 report. Certainly, during the latter half of 2020 there seemed to be more bullying-type complaints being referred to me than previously, hence the remark I made. In 2021, though the report from that year has not quite been concluded yet, that tendency or increase which appeared to be emerging has not followed through. There have been fewer bullying-type complaints that have come my way in 2021 than in 2020. I do not know why this is so. I would like to think that it is because there is less bullying than there had been in the past. Possibly that is the answer, but I do not know.