Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to this very important debate. I thank Deputy Clarke and her party for bringing it forward. It is very important matter to be discussing here this evening. I thank the Women of Honour group and the other groups that came forward to tell their harrowing stories over recent weeks and months. I have three points to make in the time allowed to me. The first is that we have to accept that we once again have a problem with sexual harassment and sexual assault in the Defence Forces. It had reduced radically in the noughties but, unfortunately, it is back. The main reason it is back is because it is now a problem across society. If it is in society, it is in the Defence Forces because the Defence Forces are a microcosm of that society. It is in most workplaces in the country. We even had our own difficulties here in the parliamentary community last year.

I will identify a couple of risk factors. Obviously, there is no excuse whatsoever for sexual harassment or sexual assault but, if we are to look at improving and targeting particular areas to stamp it out once again, we should consider this list of risk factors. The first is accommodation. It is very unusual in an Irish workplace to have accommodation, beds and ablutions on site. It is an area we have to focus on in order to stamp this out. The second relates to alcohol. It is very unusual to have alcohol in a workplace. I have been on a number of overseas tours of duty myself and, when there is alcohol, there is trouble. The best trips are those without it. I commend the recent decision to make the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, trip alcohol-free for Irish troops. That is a very good and positive step. It is something that should be considered for all overseas trips at this stage. Another risk factor is that women are very much in the minority. Only 6% of members of the Defence Forces are female. That needs to improve. A critical mass is needed so that they have supports available and are not seen as a minority group. The extended periods of time spent away from home are also a risk factor.

The most important and biggest risk factor I have identified over the last ten years is the major upheaval the Defence Forces have been through in that time. It is not an excuse in any shape or form but it is a contributing factor. Many seasoned commanders and many seasoned, experienced and highly qualified enlisted leaders who would have properly supervised their troops and pointed out where they were going wrong and any inappropriate behaviours and attitudes have left. That critical piece is missing. The turnover rate in the Defence Forces is approximately 10%, a rate that shows dysfunction. Statistically, almost the entire population of the Defence Forces is renewed every ten years. There are people in the organisation who are strangers because they have just come in and there is very little mentoring or supervision.

How do we address this? I am in favour of the four Ps - perhaps Deputy Clarke has heard of them - of prevention, protection, prosecution and policy intervention. The prevention piece is very important. I presume and hope there is to be an awareness campaign within the Defence Forces as soon as possible to change the attitudes and behaviours of a minority, which need to be addressed. From a protection point of view, there needs to be safe areas in military installations. From a prosecution point of view, we need a dedicated subunit within the Military Police Corps to investigate specific sexual harassment and sexual assault cases. On the policy intervention piece, we need to review our policies to make sure they are in accordance with the best international standards and are effective on the ground.

The Commission on the Defence Forces is reporting tomorrow. That document needs to be implemented as soon as possible. From what I have heard and what I have read in publicly available reports, I understand that it calls for a significant increase in the number of women in the Defence Forces from the current 6% to something like 25%, 30% or whatever it says. That is the kind of intervention that is required to make sure that women are not a minority in their own organisation and to make sure they know they belong.

I am conscious of the clock. To repeat myself, we all need to fully accept that there is an issue in the Defence Forces in respect of sexual harassment and sexual assault. There is hope because the Defence Forces have improved in the past. The issue was almost entirely eradicated in the late noughties but, unfortunately, it is back. We have to do everything in our power to ensure that our armed forces display the standards, ethics and morals we expect of the armed forces of this type of country.

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