Professor Brian MacCraith:

I believe the Senator will understand it is not our remit to comment on such issues. We were set up with clear terms of reference. There were two major outcomes of the IRG, one being the establishment of a judge-led inquiry that would be retrospective, as the Senator knows. Ms Justice Ann Power has been appointed to take on that role. The other major outcome was the establishment of this body, which was to be prospective in focusing on the transformation of the culture. That is what we are about. I have to say, however, that with regard to our programme of stakeholder engagement, including a two-day visit to Cork in early February, our members came away really motivated regarding what they encountered. We spent a full day at the naval base in Haulbowline and a full day in Collins Barracks in Cork city, and we met over 100 commissioned and enlisted members of the Defence Forces. We created safe spaces for members of the Defence Forces to share their experiences and we are very grateful to them for their honesty and frankness. We were all very moved by that. It reinforced our view on the work we have to do and its importance and urgency. Obviously, I cannot go into details here on that, but that would be my overall assessment.

On the Senator’s specific question, it is not our role to comment, as he will understand. We have been appointed to honour the terms of reference of the body itself and we are absolutely assured of the importance of that work.