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

In all walks of life the multidisciplinary approach is now key. Why are lots of people being recruited out of our Defence Forces? I agree with Senator Craughwell in one respect. There is a lot of education in the Defence Forces. There is a huge commitment to learning. I was in Collins Barracks recently. There is fantastic expertise in the area of ordinance and drone technology and so on. People are looking for that when it comes to recruitment. We need to attract different forms of expertise and brain power, so there is a versatile array of human resources available. I have made this point the context of the Naval Service. It did some direct entry competitions, but the physical stuff and all the rest of it still had to be completed. If we need someone to make sure the ships operate in terms of engines, radar capability, and other technical areas, we should bring in civilians if we have to. There is balance, and I am prepared to listen in return. People in the Defence Forces also have experience. I am prepared to hear all of that. We are facing different challenges, and that has to be reflected in our changes.

It think there is a welcome now for the criminal justice system, as has been identified. There seems to be a broad acceptance that sexual assault allegations must go to An Garda Síochána. We will take guidance in respect of the overseas issue. I am committed to getting the working time directive done. I have set timelines for my officials to conclude the conciliation talks and schemes under way with the representative bodies. I want that brought to a conclusion. It is important in cultural terms too, to make the workplace more attractive. There is a also a lot of investment going into barracks. I take Senator Wall's point. I stopped the demolition of the houses he referred to, and I want them refurbished. There is a housing crisis after all. There is a chance to create accommodation opportunities over time for young members coming into the Defence Forces. They can save, and that all helps contribute to their disposable resources and income. For example, what has happened with the gym facilities in County Kilkenny is incredible. It is a fantastic facility. Likewise, other camps have good facilities, but we want that to be the case uniformly. There should be proper canteens and so on where people can dine properly. We need to improve conditions within the barracks. For example, in Haulbowline, there has been tremendous investment in accommodation, and in the restoration of historic buildings on the base itself. We need to continue that investment, but also investment in capability.

On the oversight body, what has been said about the Secretary General of the Department is unfair. I know it is not personal and it relates to the position. When it comes to understanding how government operates in an administrative capacity, it seems to me that the oversight body requires that link to make sure there is accountability. Otherwise I am unsure of the role of an oversight body, which does not have a link into the Department. The IRG recommended that the Secretary General be on the oversight body. They will obviously not be part of the inquiry, which will be led by an independent judge. The Department will be included in the inquiry’s terms of reference. There are numerous reports going back, which say these issues were being dealt with. That is why the Secretary General opted for an independent review. Maybe the statutory inquiry can look into this, but there is a sense that the monitoring group was doing reviews but nothing was happening on the ground. Maybe people were being told stuff. Serving members have made a telling comment to me. There is no point having strategic review after strategic review, or policy document and frameworks if people on the ground in the Defence Forces do not see it happening in front of them, or if they do not experience it. That is the litmus test of all this. People serving on the ground must see this change. They must witness the transformation in culture. The strategic frameworks and policy documents are the easy bits. We will all sign off on them, but people on the ground must see it happening.

I think I have dealt with most of the issues raised. I stress again that this is not just about the report. I have mentioned the Defence Forces' own survey. I have mentioned meeting people who are serving. I have met people who have retired, who acknowledge that they did not speak up and ask themselves why. They felt the culture that was there. The Mohan report and Meenan report are symptomatic of that delay in not getting on top of something early on and reporting back. The timeline alone on the Mohan report is too long. I will leave it at that, and finish by saying that like Senator Craughwell I visited the cadet school recently. It is refreshing that so many young people have dedicated their lives to the protection of the State and to serve it in the Defence Forces. We owe it to them. I told them in my speech that their challenge is to become the leaders of this change,and to be the generation that does things differently. Our job is to equip them and enable them to do the job differently.