Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not want to give an answer on my feet on that issue but I will look at it seriously. I am sure the Deputy understands how the chain of command works in the Defence Forces. It is a different environment from that which operates in the workplace for virtually any other person. That chain of command is necessary in terms of a functioning military but it also needs to be managed to ensure that people are protected. Just because somebody is a superior officer does not mean that he or she has a licence to control another or to behave inappropriately in terms of an abuse of power. We need to make sure there are systems in place that will root that out and hold people to account if they are abusing power. I have to say that we are talking about a small minority of people in the Defence Forces but there must be systems in place that address the issue comprehensively. We need to put interim measures in place to protect people and we also need the independent review mechanism to report back to us, having taken the time to look at all of these issues in detail.

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