Results 181-200 of 13,004 for speaker:Louise O'Reilly

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Sep 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: Nobody is suggesting that we do.

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 welcome all present to the public session of our meeting this evening. I will read some formal notices as it is a requirement. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that members must be physically present within the confines of the place in which Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House, in order to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to...

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 going to open up the floor to members for questions in the following order: Deputy Buckley, Deputy Brendan Smith and Senator Craughwell.

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 sorry; I have to defer to members. I call Senator Flaherty and then Senator Craughwell if that is in order.

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 have some questions of my own, which I will come to when the members have had a chance to question Mr. Justice Mahon, but I will add my voice to the request that there be early engagement with the head of transformation. In light of the functions of both offices, it strikes me that this person will have a lot to learn from his experience. There would be great value in such an engagement.

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 would really caution against doing that.

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.