Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 7, 33 and 36 together. Despite the reforms that have taken place in the Defence Forces in the past 20 years with regard to dignity and equality matters, it is clear from the experiences shared by both current and former members of the Defence Forces, including the Women of Honour group and the men and women of honour group, that the culture that is prevailing and the application of policies, systems and procedures for dealing with unacceptable behaviour have not served and are not serving all Defence Forces personnel well. I will take this opportunity again to commend the courage of those who have shared their experiences of unacceptable behaviour in the Defence Forces.

The judge-led independent review group, established on 25 January last year, following approval by Government, examined those very systems, policies and procedures for dealing with issues relating to bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in the Defence Forces, as well as the prevailing workplace culture. The primary objective of all concerned, at the outset, was to acknowledge issues in the current workplace and to establish a course of action that would address them.

The terms of reference for the review were wide-ranging and provided that the Government may consider further work on receipt of the independent review findings, including with regard to matters of a historical nature and how this might best be pursued. The chair of the independent review group, Ms Justice Bronagh O’Hanlon, submitted the final report of the group to me last month. I am considering the report in full in consultation with the Attorney General and will be bringing the report to Government very shortly for consideration, assessment and subsequent decision and publication. I do not intend, therefore, to comment on the detail of the report at this stage, other than to say that it is imperative a 21st century workplace culture is fully aligned with the principles of dignity, equality, mutual respect and duty of care for every member of the Defence Forces. The report will help us in this endeavour.

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