Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I just came in to listen and to meet some my colleagues and friends here. On the matter of independent monitoring and oversight, the independent review group, which published its report on sexual violence in the Defence Forces showed that 23 years after the publication of my own research in that area, the situation has deteriorated significantly. That will be further quantified by a tribunal of inquiry, but the deterioration happened while there was an ombudsman in place and while there was a series of independent monitoring groups which were suspended in 2017 or 2018. Whatever monitoring we have needs to be independent and it has to have teeth. I listened very carefully to the interview Ms Pauline Marrinan Quinn, SC, gave on RTE about her time as ombudsman. She asked for extra powers to be able to independently investigate concerns that were raised about sexual violence. She got no response to that request. Shortly thereafter she was replaced as ombudsman by a retired military judge. We have to be really careful that whatever monitoring group is set up has powers that are meaningful. It needs not only to be independent but widely perceived to be independent. Otherwise, history might repeat itself.

The immediate aftermath of the publication of the independent review group report speaks to the idea of consulting men and boys. I was struck by the amount of pushback on the findings of the report. This pushback is really significant and I find that deeply troubling. It is coming from a number of very high-profile sources. It seems we have a persistent and profound problem with this problem of violence, not just domestically but in the most powerful institutions of the State. It is an extraordinary situation. An organisation that is charged to defend and protect its citizens is not a safe place for 51% of the population, or for people who are different by way of ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. What an extraordinary state of affairs. I apologise. I only came in to listen but I commend the committee on its work and I hope it can persuade the Government to adopt the changes in the amendments that are necessary.