Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "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, as part of the Government plan to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in all its forms, the Department of Justice is leading on the development of the third national strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence;

— the experiences shared by the Women of Honour group in relation to physical abuse, harassment, coercion, sexual assault and assault as highlighted are shocking, very serious and utterly unacceptable;

— that unfortunately the systems, policies and workplace culture in the Defence Forces have not, and are not, serving all personnel well; and

— that the Government has both a legal and moral obligation to ensure those who serve the State and offer protection to others at home and abroad are themselves protected; and

further notes that:

— following a Government decision, the Minister for Defence has established a judge-led Independent Review:

— to advise the Minister for Defence on whether the current legislative frameworks, policies, procedures and practices for addressing incidents of unacceptable behaviour in the workplace are effective;

— to independently assess whether the pervading culture in the workplace is fully aligned with the principles of dignity, equality, mutual respect and duty of care for every member of the Defence Forces; and

— to provide recommendations and guidance to the Minister for Defence on measures and strategies required to underpin a workplace based on dignity, equality, mutual respect, and duty of care for every member of the Defence Forces;

— on receipt of the final report from the Independent Review, the Government will consider the requirement for further work, and in particular, if further work is required to examine issues of an historical nature;

— the Minister for Defence encourages all stakeholders, including the Women of Honour group, the men and women of honour group, serving personnel and the representative associations to engage with the Independent Review; and

— the Minister for Defence is committed to zero tolerance of workplace bullying, harassment, discrimination, assault, sexual harassment and sexual assault, and all forms of gender-based violence."

Unfortunately, the Minister cannot be present this evening and he has asked me to pass on his apologies to Members. On his behalf I welcome the opportunity to respond to Sinn Féin on this important matter, and I thank the Members opposite for their contributions over the past 20 minutes.

I confirm, without question, that the Government commends the Women of Honour, a group of former Defence Forces members, on their bravery, courage and commitment in telling their experiences in the public arena to bring about change. I had the privilege of meeting the Women of Honour group on 29 October last, when I had the opportunity to hear first hand their personal experiences and their wish for change for serving members and future members of the Defence Forces.

There are policies, systems and procedures currently in place for dealing with allegations and complaints of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, but it is clear from strong views expressed at the meetings both I and my colleague have had with stakeholders, including serving members, that the pervading culture in the Defence Forces, and those policies, systems and procedures have not served and are not serving all Defence Forces personnel well.

We share a common position on the issues being raised. I agree completely with the reference in the motion that violence, abuse, coercion and harassment of any individual in any society is totally unacceptable. The abuse of power is not acceptable in any form. This is why the development of the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, led by the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, is so important in tackling this epidemic. As the Minister has said, "it is vital that we step up our policy response right across Departments and agencies to ensure that the third strategy is the most ambitious yet".

The Government acknowledges that the experiences shared by the Women of Honour group in relation to physical abuse, harassment, coercion, sexual assault and assault as highlighted are shocking, very serious and utterly unacceptable. 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 abroad are themselves protected. It is for this reason the independent review that has been approved by Cabinet is now operational and is proceeding without delay as a critical and necessary next step in addressing these serious issues. Members of the Defence Forces expect nothing less. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has an immediate obligation to serving members to ensure the workplace is safe and that there is zero tolerance of unacceptable behaviour in the Defence Forces. In this, the Minister has the full support of Government.

I am aware there was extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders over previous months, including serving members, the representative associations, the Women of Honour group and a further group of the original Women of Honour group - the men and women of honour group - on the terms of reference, which were approved by Government on 25 January last. I understand the Secretary General and senior officials at the Department of Defence met the Women of Honour group on seven occasions, and on three of those occasions the Minister, Deputy Coveney, was also in attendance. As I have already mentioned, I also met with the group on 29 October last. In addition, meetings have also been held with the men and women of honour group.

On foot of these engagements with stakeholders, I am aware a number of observations have been incorporated into the terms, including the bringing of the Department of Defence within the scope of the review's body of work, which is a particular ask of the Women of Honour group. The review group will also be engaging with the various structures within the complaints process, including the independent Office of the Ombudsman of the Defence Forces.

While the independent review has the support of stakeholders, including serving members of the Defence Forces, I am aware the Women of Honour group has expressed the disappointment of its members with the review and is seeking the establishment of a tribunal of inquiry. I am aware the Taoiseach met with members of the Women of Honour group on Monday, 31 January. He listened very carefully to their views and advised them that he concurred with the Minister, Deputy Coveney, on the need to take action now to address the need for a safe work environment for serving members founded on zero tolerance for unacceptable behaviour. The Taoiseach also met with members of the men and women of honour group on Friday, 4 February. They relayed their harrowing experiences to him and stated they supported the independent review and would co-operate with it. I express my appreciation to the members of this group for also having the courage to share their experiences with the Taoiseach.

These are complex issues with different views from stakeholders as to how best to address them. Both the Minister and the Taoiseach have underlined that the Government is not ruling out a further body of work in the future to examine allegations of a historical nature, and I wish to echo that message this evening. The terms of reference for the review provide that Government may consider further work on receipt of the independent review findings. The review group, comprising three members, is chaired by Bronagh O'Hanlon, a recently retired High Court judge. The other members of the group are senior counsel Mark Connaughton and HR specialist Jane Williams. Their work has commenced and they have been specifically asked to advise whether further work is required to examine issues of an historical nature and to make any recommendations in this regard. As the Minister has indicated previously, an interim report is expected within six months and a final report within 12 months, which will be brought to Government.

I again commend those in the Women of Honour group on their courage in sharing their experiences and I emphasise in no uncertain terms that their concerns are not being ignored. The Government is fully cognisant of the trauma that can be suffered by victims and the need to consider carefully the most appropriate course of action. On foot of initial engagements with serving members of the Defence Forces and the Women of Honour group last September, the Minister announced last October, interim support measures for members of the Defence Forces impacted by unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.

A confidential contact person, who has been appointed within Raiseaconcern, is available to assist serving and former members of the Defence Forces, and this provides a safe place to support the reporting of alleged wrongdoing in the workplace. The service is up and running since the announcement and has received and is receiving calls. Given the nature of the allegations, the Minister acted quickly in putting in place an appropriate confidential contact person who is independent and outside the chain of command, and whose role is to listen to the caller, assist in documenting his or her allegations, and provide guidance on follow-on options.

The Inspire confidential helpline, which is available on a 24-7 basis for all serving members of the Defence Forces, has also been made available to anyone who has contacted the confidential contact person. In addition, the personnel support service in the Defence Forces assists members and their immediate family with the provision of information and advice on areas, including stress management, counselling and referral options.

Whether recent or historical, however, the Minister and the Government have been consistent in the message that those who may have suffered serious wrong of a criminal nature are urged to report their concerns to An Garda Síochána, which has lawful authority, skills and resources to investigate such matters. I strongly support this position. I commend this countermotion to the House.

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