Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence's tribunal of inquiry. One of the things it might do is clear up what should never have gotten into the public domain from the independent review group. The independent review group's report could have been one sentence: "We found prima facieevidence, which requires a sworn inquiry." Instead of that, we had a report, which was extremely detailed, based on untested facts. Hopefully, the tribunal of inquiry will deal with that.

With respect to the oversight body that has been put in place, I am absolutely appalled that the Department of Defence is represented on that. Neither Defence Forces senior management or the representative bodies are on that particular oversight body. The Department stood down the original oversight body without any discussion or debate when it was doing good work. The Department is as culpable as can be in the failure to deal with some of the allegations that have been laid bare by the independent review group. It is effectively bringing the fox into the chicken coop. It is just wrong in every sense of the word. The Secretary General of the Department should recuse herself. She stood step back from it and say she cannot be a party to this because her Department has to be examined just as the Defence Forces have to be examined. It is wrong in every sense of the word. I have written to the Tánaiste on it. I have spoken about it on social media and said this is not right. No man can be a judge in his own court. That applies to the Department of Defence as much as anybody else. If we want a clear, transparent process, the Department has to be subject to the inquiry and oversight, not a part of it. It is absolutely appalling. Once again, and I am sorry to say this because the Clerk of the Seanad is present, it is the Civil Service driving the situation to suit itself. It is wrong and it needs to be addressed by the Tánaiste. I ask the Deputy Leader to write to the Tánaiste to say that I brought this matter up this morning.