Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

"Allegations such as those revealed at McKee Barracks should not remain within the military system to investigate ... A similar regime was operated within the [Catholic] Church in which canon law was applied in horrific cases of sex abuse. It was not tolerated there, and it should not be tolerated in the Defence Forces." Those are strong words today from Women of Honour group. As for the comparison with the Catholic Church, my understanding is that they are talking about an institution which is not covered by the civil law but has its own set of laws - Canon law for the church, military law for the Defence Forces. Those are strong words and I endorse them. I also note that we have today another case coming to light of a female apprentice in the Air Corps repeatedly being sent unsolicited lewd images from a colleague. These cases point to a rotten culture in the Defence Forces. Clearly, it is not a case of just one or two bad apples. A rigid, hierarchical command structure, low pay, poor conditions and the denial of trade union rights are a lethal combination, certainly for vulnerable women members of the forces.

An ICTU survey in 2019 found that four fifths of workers experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace do not report the incident to their employers. If that is the case in unionised workplaces, what is the position in workplaces where trade union organisation is banned and the workplace is run by command? The case of the Women of Honour needs to be treated more seriously by this Government. There must be no cover-ups. There should be a statutory inquiry with the ability to compel witnesses to attend and to give evidence and the ability to access in full all relevant documents and material.

This year, International Women's Day, 8 March, must be a day of protest and of action on the streets of Ireland to demand real action on the issue of gender violence. I hope that workplaces will walk out to show support, I hope that college students will walk out to show support and I hope that more than one or two members of the Defence Forces will join those protests on the day.

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