Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

Deputy O'Shea has a point, but there are handbooks, guidelines and strategy statements, there is the A7 personnel directive, and anti-bullying measures are imbedded in all education courses in the Army. The ombudsman is a final, statutorily independent court of appeal if people are not satisfied with how they get on internally. They can make the complaint in a number of ways internally but those who are not satisfied can appeal to the ombudsman. The fact that people are not appealing to the ombudsman so far — it could change — is an indication that they are happy with whatever redress they got internally.

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