Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

As a consequence, there are 22 outstanding cases to be dealt with before a military tribunal. As Minister, I will not prejudge these cases, nor do I know the outcome of these cases but it is not right that individuals whose case may be before a military tribunal are left in a position of uncertainty. It is not proper that the system of justice relating to the Defence Forces has been placed in limbo. It is an atrocious and appalling scandal that the previous Government failed to address this matter. I want to be clear about not having in place a military tribunal for a considerable period of time and the lack of alternative mechanism. Senator Heffernan and others made reference to the fact that if the person who is the one and only military judge is unable to deal with a case for any of a broad range of reasons, we do not have a formal legal structure to address it.