Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Today we remember the crew of Rescue 111 who gave their lives off the coast of Waterford, near Tramore, after a successful search and rescue mission. Those brave men were Captain Dave O'Flaherty, recipient of the distinguished service medal, DSM; Captain Mike Baker, recipient of the DSM; Sergeant Paddy Mooney, recipient of the DSM; and Corporal Niall Byrne, recipient of the DSM.

I will turn to a report by Niall O'Connor on thejournal.ie. He reported that the 26 investigations of alleged abuse in the Defence Forces announced by the Garda Commissioner have failed to progress and are no longer live. The Garda is now investigating some other historical cases. We are told there are fewer than ten such cases. The 26 cases investigated arose from the deeply flawed independent review group report. The review report was based on hearsay and not on tested evidence. The damage it has done to the defence community, indeed, the defence family, is incalculable and will take years to undo. So many in the Oireachtas were quick to the gallows with their ropes to join the lynching mob. So few called for a pause and for the serious allegations to be tested at a tribunal. No member of the Defence Forces wants to serve with rapists, sexual abusers, bullies or thugs. We in the defence family are proud and loyal citizens of the State. How difficult it has been for those who are gagged under pain of military law to stay silent, unable to speak out. Today I speak for all the voiceless.

The Tánaiste is to bring the Defence (Amendment) Bill to this House tomorrow. I ask him to remove the deeply offensive sections that attempt to gag the Defence Forces' representative bodies. When questioned, the Secretary General of the Department said the gagging was at the request of the Chief of Staff. If that is untrue, the Chief of Staff must say so in public.

With respect to the deeply disturbing recent events in Limerick, no one could defend the perpetrator. That said, how quick the political leaders, starting with the Taoiseach, were to jump on the populist bandwagon and condemn all who served, questioning how many Defence Forces members are currently hiding in the force with convictions of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. How quick the social media classes were to turn on the officer who was bound under military law to appear in court and report on the private's military record. That was not a character reference of any sort. How quick the news media were to publish the fact that 68 members had been convicted or were awaiting charge for specified criminal offences. Why were they portrayed as all sexual offences? That is how they have been seen.

Did one politician step up to the plate and take responsibility for the failure of the Oireachtas to provide a full Minister to oversee defence? It is deeply disturbing to note that the most senior officer in the Defence Forces, the Chief of Staff, and the former Chief of Staff, who does not wear the uniform and is no longer bound by military law, seem unwilling or unable to speak out for their charge. Surely he knows that the thousands of members, women and men, are exemplary citizens, as my colleague, Senator O'Loughlin, said. I am heartbroken that not one commentator could bring himself or herself to defend the good name of the services - the Navy, the Army and the Air Corps. Today I ask who defends the defenders, the great women and men who today stand ready to serve and who today are in peril in south Lebanon. I am proud to have served with great people and I will defend them to the grave if nobody else will.