Mr. John O'Mahony:

The code of conduct would be a great document if it was employed equally for volunteers, but it is employed against us. One of the fundamental problems is we have no one to enforce the code of conduct for us. We should have someone, such as an ombudsman, to ensure that. We should not have to go to an ombudsman but if we could ensure that our rights in the code of conduct were available to us, there would not be an issue. However, we are not allowed. One of the very first pages of the code of conduct contains a reference to dignity and respect. I made a few phone calls before we came before the committee, and spoke to people I had not spoken to for several months, including former OICs.

Without prompting, they came out with the phrase "lack of dignity and respect". They were an amalgamated team, but under the Fisher report, many of the teams were destroyed and written off. The people left had no recourse to their rights under the code of conduct and they had no way of enforcing it other than to do what one of our volunteers did, that being, taking €18,000 out of his own pocket and getting a solicitor. Most people cannot afford to do that, though, and should not have to.