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

I immediately asked for report on the situation after the court sentence was announced in the case of the appalling attack by Crotty on Natasha O'Brien. As the matter is under appeal, I cannot comment any further on it other than to say that I have received a report from the Chief of Staff identifying 68 cases where there have been some convictions, where some are still before the courts and where some are under appeal. I also asked for a separate report on the situation in the Naval Service in respect of one individual. There is a process under way in respect of that individual internally within the Defence Forces. Again, I have been warned by the Attorney General that I cannot comment until that process concludes. Based on both reports, I think it is fair to say that there was a lack of proactive management in some cases in terms of the how the regulations enable the military authorities to progress a discharge. The regulations allow for discharge.

Enlisted personnel in the Defence Forces can be discharged for any one of the 26 reasons identified in Defence Forces regulation, DFR A10. There have been gaps in some of the cases, and that is not satisfactory.

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