Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. It would be appropriate to acknowledge the work done by Ms Paulyn Marrinan Quinn since her appointment and the importance of the Act that she gave effect to in the course of her service. Certainly recourse to some form of ombudsman service was absolutely essential in the Defence Forces, as it would be in any organisation that has a strong authoritative and hierarchical system. I am glad to hear the Minister's response that the culture within the Defence Forces has changed over the years but I am puzzled when I look at the figures from the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces. Between 2008 and 2010 there was an average of about 112 cases considered by the ombudsman but that dropped quite dramatically from 116 in 2010 to 32 in 2011. Could the Minister explain that dramatic drop?

I am also conscious the outgoing ombudsman wrote to the Minister indicating the time was right to consider how the whole system was working and if the oversight system was fulfilling its original purpose. Have the necessary changes taken place in the Defence Forces to reflect the concepts enshrined in the Act? I understand Ms Marrinan Quinn raised the question of the powers enshrined in the Act being further extended as they have been in other jurisdictions. She reported that the Minister responded positively to that approach. One wonders how that positive response to a request for additional powers and a review of the system gave rise to a situation in which the working hours of the ombudsman will fall from 40 to 25 hours per week and we are to have a part-time ombudsman. Some members of the Defence Forces would say we also have a part-time Minister for Defence.

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