Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

Obviously I have no control over what sort of cases go to the ombudsman. Deputy O'Shea is correct that only one case out of the 26 cases considered last year related to bullying or sexual harassment. I understand that the ombudsman could not consider that case because it was outside her remit for procedural reasons.

I would look at it the other way. The internal procedures now are so good that matters do not have to go as far as the ombudsman because one only goes to the ombudsman when one has exhausted all internal procedures. There is a raft of internal procedures in place now. There are the direct contact persons, 240 of whom are in place. There is the confidential telephone line. The procedures have been reviewed by the Labour Court. There is a human rights officer in the Army. I would like to think that the reason so many bullying and harassment cases are not reaching the ombudsman is because they are being so effectively dealt with internally.

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