Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, for presenting the Government's opening statement. Unfortunately, due to a change in times by the Business Committee, my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, is unable to present the closing statement. He sends his apologies to the House.

On behalf of the Minister, I thank Deputy Clarke for raising this matter under Private Members' business. This discussion is important and deals with serious issues that are a priority for the Minister for Defence. I assure the House that the Government is committed to providing a safe place of work for members of the Defence Forces, with a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour, while also examining ways of addressing allegations of an historical nature.

I acknowledge the strong views of a number of colleagues in the House, including calls for a statutory inquiry. I echo the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers's comments that the Women of Honour have displayed tremendous courage in sharing their experiences and that the matters they have raised are serious. I also extend my appreciation to the members of the Men and Women of Honour group for coming forward to share their experiences with the Minister, departmental officials and, more recently, the Taoiseach.

I appreciate the references in the motion to the legal and moral obligations to all members of the Defence Forces. It is for this reason that the Minister is proceeding with this independent review. My colleague has an immediate duty of care to serving members of the Defence Forces to ensure that they can carry out their duties in a workplace that is safe and has a culture underpinned by dignity and equality. This is what the review group is currently examining and why the independent review is so important. Recent media coverage of an alleged incident last year has only reinforced the thinking on this.

In taking this first critical step, the Minister has the full support of serving personnel and other stakeholders, including the Men and Women of Honour group. It is what they need and expect him to deliver. Their views and the views of the representative associations have informed the terms of reference. In those terms, my colleague has specified that the Department of Defence will be included in the scope of the review group's work. This was a particular request of the Women of Honour group. I do not accept, therefore, that the terms of reference fail to recognise the seriousness of this issue. They offer sufficient scope to determine the scale and depth of the problems across the Defence Forces. The terms of reference are wide ranging and provide the review group with the scope to examine the end-to-end process for making a complaint of unacceptable behaviour and to assess whether there are barriers to serving personnel making complaints and fully and actively engaging in the process. The review group will also examine the extent to which reprisal, the fear of reprisal or the existence of a culture of silence or complicity may act as a barrier to reporting or investigating as well as any indication of inconsistencies or challenges in the application of policies.

In addition to incorporating a number of views from stakeholders, the independent review's terms of reference are based to a large extent on those developed by the departments of defence in Canada, the UK and the USA where similar serious workplace issues were identified to those encountered in the Irish Defence Forces. The Attorney General's office provided the Minister with advice on a range of matters, including the terms. My colleague was also advised on this approach by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. I am fully satisfied, therefore, that the terms are sufficiently broad to allow the independent review group members significant latitude to explore the areas that they need to explore and to make recommendations for future actions. I should add that the secretariat function will operate independently of the Department of Defence under the direction of the membership of the review group. The review group is led by the recently retired High Court judge, Ms Bronagh O'Hanlon, who will bring valuable independent, external and unbiased expertise to this body of work.

My colleague has set an ambitious timetable for the review group. He looks forward to receiving the interim report in six months. The Minister and the Taoiseach have confirmed with the Women of Honour group that the Government is not ruling out an inquiry in future.

Former members of the Defence Forces have been incredibly courageous in coming forward to share their experiences. The allegations of an historical nature are not being ignored, but we have to take this first step. The independent review group has been specifically asked to consider if a further body of work will be required. If such a recommendation is made, the Government will consider it.

The interim supports that the Minister put in place last October, to which my colleague, the Minister of State, referred, are there for people who have been affected by these issues. The confidential contact person and the 24-7 Inspire counselling service are important support mechanisms and they are being utilised. In addition, the personnel support service, PSS, within the Defence Forces assists members and their immediate families through the provision of information and advice on areas, including stress management, counselling and referral options.

The serious issues raised by the Women of Honour and serving members will not be resolved overnight. It will take time, but we have made a start. While I understand that the Women of Honour are disappointed that a statutory inquiry is not being established at this time, I hope that they understand the need for this independent review as a first step in meeting our immediate obligations to serving members.

The terms of reference provide that submissions can be made to the review group and that former and serving members of the Defence Forces may engage with it and share their experiences. I hope that all stakeholders, including the Women of Honour group, will avail of this opportunity and engage with the process. Their contribution will be important in moving this forward.

I echo what my colleague, the Minister of State, said in his contribution. Those who may have suffered serious wrongs of a criminal nature, whether recent or historical, should report their concerns to An Garda Síochána, which has the lawful authority, skills and resources to investigate such matters. I strongly urge anyone who may have been subject to any such alleged abuse or harassment to seek professional help and guidance, which is available from State agencies such as the HSE or from registered charities that specialise in this area.

I reiterate in the strongest possible terms the Minister, Deputy Coveney's commitment, and that of the Government, to addressing these issues in the most comprehensive and efficient way possible. I assure colleagues that the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces will engage with the independent review group in respect of their respective roles and functions now that the review is under way. Therefore, I ask the House to allow the independent review group the time to undertake this important work and to support the Government's amendment.

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