Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would like to thank my colleague, Deputy Clarke, for bringing forward this motion in support of the women of honour. We fully support their call for a full statutory inquiry. We commend their courage and bravery. We believe them and we will continue to stand with them.

I have no doubt of the massive toll this has taken on them. Like many whistleblowers, they went through an incredibly difficult process to bring this to light and, like many whistleblowers, they were driven by what is right. These women have helped to blow the whistle on extremely serious allegations of abuse, sexual abuse, harassment and discrimination. The fact that an organisation set up to protect could enact this kind of treatment on those within its own ranks is dumbfounding. Like so many whistleblowers before them, the official channels failed them.

The measures proposed by the Minister to investigate these allegations are so inadequate as to be almost offensive. They are, in the words of these women, ineffective and powerless to get to the real heart of the issue. These women deserve a hell of a lot better than this. These issues are long-standing; we all know this. Dr. Tom Clonan's research into this kind of abuse laid it out in painstaking detail. As part of his research, 60 female soldiers, sailors and air crew were surveyed. Of these, 59 reported they had suffered abuse or discrimination and 12 said they had been sexually assaulted or raped. At first, there were attempts to discredit this research before eventually the findings were accepted and we were told it would never happen again. Yet, as Dr. Clonan said, the culture continues.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that members of the Government said in this House that we had to change how women are treated in this State. It is now within the power of the Minister to change how all women are treated. It is within his power to change how women in our military are treated. These women should be given the statutory inquiry for which they are calling.

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