Tánaiste and Women of Honour to re-engage over inquiry terms

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has agreed to re-engage with the Women of Honour group over its concerns about the proposed terms of reference at a tribunal of inquiry into the Defence Forces.

The tribunal of inquiry will examine the effectiveness of the complaints processes in the Defence Forces in respect of workplace incidents relating to discrimination, bullying, harassment, sexual assault and rape.

The support group for former and current female Defence Force members who allege they were abused in the military held a meeting with Mr Martin on Thursday morning.

Former army captain Diane Byrne said “serious issues” remain.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting with Mr Martin, she said: “It was an extremely frank conversation but he has agreed to re-engage, so conversations will keep going to try to work out the differences that we have with the Terms of Reference.

“We’re very firm in the position that there are some serious issues here.

“We’re as keen as anybody to get this resolved and move forward – but only if it is right.”

The group also raised its concerns over what it earlier described as a “flippant remark” from the Tánaiste.

Mr Martin, who is also Minister for Defence, had previously told the group that the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act would not be explicitly included in the inquiry’s definition of complaints processes as it could include “trips, slips and falls”.

The Women of Honour had asked Mr Martin to withdraw the remark, which it felt minimised the “extremely serious” incidents to be covered by the inquiry.

A spokeswoman of the Department of Defence described this characterisation of Mr Martin’s remarks as “unfair”.

On Thursday, Ms Byrne said the Tánaiste did not apologise for the comment during the meeting.

“He alluded to how he meant that to be. We obviously took it in a different light. That is what it is.”

Ms Byrne said the group would continue to explain why the legislation should be included in the definition of complaints processes.

She said the group’s request for the negotiations to be taken out of the hands of the Department of Defence and instead be arbitrated through the Department of the Taoiseach has never been entertained.

“We always believe that it is inappropriate. Even if it’s for perception purposes. Really and truly we’re talking about the Department of Defence creating a terms of reference that has them included in the review and investigation of it.

“Of course, that’s a conflict of interest. We’ve raised that countless times before and we just haven’t got any traction on it. We are prepared to keep going on these issues, pending on getting what we need in the terms of reference.”

Ms Byrne said the group would continue to engage as long as the Government continues to be “reasonable”.

Asked if she was hopeful the group’s requests would be listened to, she said: “I’m always hopeful. We wouldn’t be doing this if we felt there was no point. This takes an awful lot of time, effort, energy and resources that we don’t have.

“We are working mothers at home, and we have to turn our lives upside down every time we come in here, but we do have hope that we will eventually get somewhere with this.

“We’re not going anywhere. So, if we don’t have hope – what’s the point?”

The group anticipates another meeting with the Tánaiste before Christmas.

She also told reporters that victims are aligned on what they want but it was unclear if all representative groups were.

Ms Byrne said there had been previous requests for multiple groups to meet with officials at the same time, rather than one-on-one engagements.