Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

commends the Women of Honour, a group of former Defence Forces members, for their bravery, courage and commitment in telling their experiences in the public arena to bring about change;

notes: — that violence, abuse, coercion and harassment of women and girls is systemic in society and is worse again in environments heavily reliant on power structures;

— the experiences of the Women of Honour group in relation to physical abuse, harassment, coercion, sexual assault and assault as highlighted are most serious; and

— that we have both a legal obligation and a moral obligation to ensure those who serve the State and offer protection to others at home and preserve peace abroad are themselves protected; further notes that: — the current internal system for dealing with complaints is not fit-for-purpose and fails to protect those who lodge complaints or those tasked with carrying out investigations;

— the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces is not an effective mechanism for dealing with complaints of the nature raised; and

— the Independent Review proposed by the Minister for Defence and its associated terms of reference fail to recognise the seriousness of this issue and do not offer sufficient scope to determine the scale and depth of the problems across the Defence Forces; and calls on the Government to: — establish a full statutory inquiry into allegations of abuse, harassment, sexual harassment, sexual abuse and repercussions following engagement with the internal system of righting a wrong;

— re-engage with all key stakeholders, including representatives of the Women of Honour group, to create fit-for-purpose terms of reference which provide for adequate scope to deal with these issues; and

— commit to zero tolerance of workplace bullying, harassment, discrimination, assault, sexual harassment and sexual assault, and all forms of gender-based violence.

I welcome the opportunity to bring forward this motion in support of, and to achieve some measure of justice for, the group that have become known as the Women of Honour, and others. This support is echoed across the country and, it would also seem to be the case on some local authorities, by Government party councillors, given the motions that have recently been put forward. I am not going to lie or sugar-coat this when I say that I am appalled and deeply saddened that circumstances have progressed in such a manner that the motion is necessary. I am also deeply disappointed at the proposed Government amendment to the motion.

I am also somewhat perplexed by the Government quoting sentences from our motion.

Five months ago, listeners were rendered speechless by the "Documentary on One" by Katie Hannon, entitled "Women of Honour". Even those of us who had been in contact with the women in the run-up to the documentary and had a small idea of what was to come were, like others, deeply disturbed at the range and depth of the issues raised. Those harrowing experiences recounted in public by the women of sexual assault, harassment, abuse and discrimination made for very uncomfortable and worrying listening. These female former members of the Defence Forces displayed bravery and fortitude in coming forward into such a public domain to speak about their experiences. Given the Government's proposed amendment, those are characteristics the women will continue to have to call on as the Government effectively gaslights them. The revelation of what those women endured made it clear that Ireland, like many other countries, was experiencing its own #MilitaryMeToo movement and that it would not be left unscathed.

In the aftermath of the revelations, there were meetings between Ministers and officials and the group, and assurances were given in public and in private that the Women of Honour would have input into the terms of reference. In a statement in September regarding the establishment of an inquiry into allegations, the Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, confirmed this would happen. However, in February 2022, there appears to have been not only a change of heart but a change of priorities. The only request, which was for a statutory inquiry, has been ignored. Instead, an internal review is the only show in town. The Minister and his officials are trying to convince both the Women of Honour and the rest of us that it is perfectly reasonable and not insulting at all to dilute the only request of the key stakeholders, a request made so that nobody else would go through the experiences they went through. How are these women, who chose to serve the State and were repeatedly let down by the structures and successive governments, expected to have faith in a review where nobody is compelled to engage or attend and which will rely entirely on the goodwill of potential conversations?

It is small wonder the Women of Honour left the last meeting with the Minister for Defence. I presume he is still at the meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, since he is not here to deal with a defence matter. The women said to me, as they said in a public statement, that they effectively felt like they had been patted on the head. That was their take from it. The core message from the Women of Honour is that they want to ensure no other member of the Defence Forces endures what they endured. They know, just as the Minister knows, that nothing will change as a result of this review. The Minister must re-engage with the key stakeholders, the Women of Honour group, and create fit-for-purpose terms of reference that provide for adequate scope to deal with the issues in a statutory inquiry, not a review. It may be late, but there is still an opportunity for the Minister for Defence to do the right thing for this group.

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