LAST UPDATE | 6 Jul 2023

THE TÁNAISTE HAS said he is “minded” to recommend a full public and transparent tribunal of enquiry into allegations.

Speaking during Leaders’ Questions this morning Michéal Martin said that he was hopeful that he could tell the Women of Honour group today that he was to recommend such an enquiry but that there were some challenges to overcome yet. 

The WOH group is to express “disappointment” over Tánaiste Micheál Martin’s decision not to substantively change terms of reference for an inquiry into the Defence Forces.

The group is comprised of former and current female Defence Force members who allege they were abused within the military has published its own proposed terms of reference for the planned statutory probe into the claims.

The group is due to meet the Tánaiste at Government Buildings later today.

Martin said in response to a question from Labour party leader Ivana Bacik, that he would likely recommend the tribunal. 

He said he does not want to hold the enquiry “behind closed doors. 

“I was hopeful that I would be in a position to communicate my intentions to the group today, the Women of Honour group, but I am minded to recommend to Government a public tribunal of inquiry but to try and tease through the mechanisms by which we will try and protect certain people who might wish to come forward and not be in the public layer,” he told the Dáil.

In a letter to inquiry stakeholders, Martin said that he had extensive engagement with the Attorney General on the terms of reference for the process.

“I discussed the range of comments and observations received,” he wrote.

“There have been changes made to the terms of reference but, overall, they remain substantively the same.

“The Attorney General is confident that most of the issues raised will be covered by the terms of reference and that the Judge will have enough discretion to make his own decisions as the inquiry progresses.”

 Martin said he will bring proposals to Government next week seeking approval to progress the statutory inquiry and to appoint a former judge as lead.

A spokesperson for the Women of Honour group said: “We will be opposing this plan and will be communicating this to all other party leaders.

“It is very disappointing that, despite in-depth discussions and the efforts of so many, comprehensive terms of reference will not be put forward to Government.

“We remain of a view that the Department of Defence is having too much influence in this matter.”

The group said it is a conflict of interest to have the Department of Defence involved in “influencing Government” on the nature and remit of the inquiry.

Women of Honour said it hopes the Tánaiste will change his mind.

“We are steadfast in our position and we will in no way support a grossly inadequate inquiry with deeply flawed terms of reference.”

With reporting from Press Association.