Results 141-160 of 12,956 for speaker:Louise O'Reilly

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: Will Mr. Justice Mahon confine his response to what Senator Craughwell has asked directly?

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: I am conscious of time. There are no other members indicating but I ask the Senator to make this his last question.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: My experience of barracks is very different from Mr. Justice Mahon's. From speaking to people in barracks, they speak of the poor-quality accommodation - sometimes, not often. How often does Mr. Justice Mahon visit barracks? Does he do it routinely as part of his work or on an as-and-when-required basis? Does he go to address specific issues? He mentioned being in Haulbowline. What...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: More for information than investigation or inspection.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: Mr. Justice Mahon would not look at the quality of the accommodation when he is there.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: The reason I pursue the line of questioning is it does not chime with interactions I have had with members of the Defence Forces. I am just interested to know that. I want to pick up on a point made on the position of women in the Defence Forces. Mr. Justice Mahon said he had had no complaints of inappropriate sexual behaviour. That is brilliant if it is an indication there is no...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: I appreciate that. However, the same people who the ombudsman says take it seriously now did not take is seriously previously. The hope is that lessons were learned by those people. I do not believe there has been a massive churn of personnel at the higher end. That happens mostly at the NCO grades. We have been told that there is a recruitment issue within the Defence Forces. It...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: It was very much the other way around. I thought it had just about caught up but not quite yet.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: I understand that the wages have not kept pace with rising rents and so on. There is probably a job of work for the Government in that regard. What level of engagement would the ombudsman have had with the Women of Honour in terms of engagement with his office? Some of us would have been aware of them anyway, but the general public are now aware of very serious issues within the Defence...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: They were out of time.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: That is where I share the concern expressed by Senator Flaherty. For victims, what the ombudsman termed "inappropriate sexual behaviour" or the sexual violence experienced by women - not only women but mostly - in their workplace can have a massive traumatising impact on individuals. A person might not even be able to acknowledge that for years, much less make a complaint. As the ombudsman...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: I understand.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: That is something we will have to look at as an Oireachtas. I did not read all the reports but I read the two that were sent to me, including the most recent one. A lot of the complaints and issues the office handles are what I would call industrial relations, IR, issues. As I previously said I am a former trade union official. It is not all of them, but a lot of them are. Some of the...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: The clock starts ticking the day it happens.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: Does the ombudsman's office conduct surveys to see how satisfied people are? He said 17 out of 18 of those complaints got solved at local level. Happy days.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: Would the ombudsman consider that? People going to his office is indicative of a failure of the procedures somewhat. Whatever grievance was there could not be resolved using the internal procedures and it was necessary to go externally to his office as the independent person. Perhaps it might be worth having a look at the internal procedures. He provided me with the figure that 17 out of...

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: It would be good, particularly because of that 12-month timeframe. I have a concern that people would find themselves out of time. When the ombudsman is next before the committee he might be able to provide us with some information relating to that. It would be valuable information to have.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: It is very important to the person who is taking them.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: My dad was also a trade union official. He used to tell me that. He said something that might seem very trivial to one person could be the whole life for the person who is bringing it.

Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen: Engagement with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: I understand what the ombudsman means. I was making the other point to quote my dad. Deputy Buckley is indicating he has a question.