Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that the Tánaiste is taking a hands-on approach, but can he imagine? We have had a commission on the future of the Defence Forces. We have the documentary on the Women of Honour. We have a tribunal set up. However, he, as Tánaiste of this country, the second most important role, has to repeatedly ask the what the situation is. He gets a report, and he is not happy with it, so he gets another report. He is then told there are 68 Defence Forces personnel who have been convicted or are before the courts one way or another. What period of time are we talking about with the 68? Is it one year or two years? How does he explain different discrepancies where 68 was given and a lesser number was given on another occasion? It is absolutely unsatisfactory. If the Tánaiste remembers with the Women of Honour, trust was the biggest thing. It was to have trust in a system and that they would be believed and listened to. Here we now have a situation on a drip-feed basis related to the most serious offences, all arising from a courageous woman, Natasha O'Brien. Once again, it is women coming forward courageously but there is nothing proactive. I think the Tánaiste is on record as saying there is no proactive mechanism. Can we have clear details, please?

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