Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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326. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason for the delay in publishing the Ruth Fitzgerald report into unlawful and-or inappropriate sexual behaviour in the Irish Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9956/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In May 2022, the then Minister for Defence appointed a Senior Counsel to establish whether the actions taken on behalf of the Minister by Civil Servants in the Department of Defence and the military authorities on foot of correspondence received by the Minister from a former member of the Defence Forces were correct having regard to the regulatory frameworks, policies and internal grievance systems in place.

For the purposes of clarity, the Terms of Reference for Counsel do not seek a report into unlawful and or inappropriate sexual behaviour in the Defence Forces.

Counsel's report has been received and has been subject to the advice of the Office of the Attorney General. It is my intention that the report will be published. Prior to doing so, my officials are to engage with the former member who submitted the correspondence.

Given that the correspondence received is linked by way of timing and content with matters considered by the Independent Review Group, my officials are working on these two strands of work simultaneously. I hope that officials from the Department will be in a position to meet with the former member of the Defence Forces soon and present him with a copy of the report.