LAST UPDATE | 28 Mar 2023

THE GOVERNMENT WILL carry out a “study of deaths by suicide” in the Defence Forces over the past two decades.

The independent report into allegations of bullying and sexual harassment within the Defence Forces was published this afternoon, with Tánaiste and Defence Minister Micheál Martin describing it as a “watershed moment”.

It concluded that a “statutory inquiry into the alleged failures” in the Defence Forces complaints system is also “necessary”, having found an increase in bullying and harassment in the Defence Forces in the last year.

Martin said this lunchtime that the government has also agreed that there will be a “study of deaths by suicide of both current and former members of the Defence Forces over the last 20 years”.

“We have agreed that our ultimate significant programme of reform and culture change within the Defence Forces with the support of newly appointed external expertise,” Martin said.

The landmark report accused the Defence Forces of being an organisation “that barely tolerates women”, and has made a raft of recommendations including an oversight body and removing complaints management from military officers.  

“Having carefully considered the matter, and fully aware of the seriousness of this recommendation, the IRG-DF believes that a statutory inquiry into the alleged failures in Defence Forces complaints system is necessary,” the report said.

“It would be the Government’s prerogative to choose one of the existing statutory options for such an inquiry, or some other bespoke form.”

Martin met with the Women of Honour (WoH) group yesterday to discuss the report, with the women involved in the meeting describing it as constructive.

The WoH are a number of female Defence Forces members who acted as whistleblowers in regard to their own treatment over bullying and sexual harassment in their military lives.

Their claims were detailed in a high-profile RTÉ radio documentary in late 2021.

It detailed the alleged shortcomings of reporting processes in the forces, as well as the devastating personal and professional implications of abuse and attempts to report it.

Some victims claimed they suffered depression, eating disorders and suicidal ideation as a result of their experiences, while some left their jobs in the forces.

Martin received the report at the beginning of February. The Attorney General then reviewed it before publication today.

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In a interview with this publication, the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces Sean Clancy, who arrived at his post just as the Women of Honour scandal was breaking – said as he was at the beginning of his tenure, he had an opportunity “to do something about this and to tackle it’.”

Clancy said that the Defence Forces will “fully embrace” the findings of the report. 

Speaking yesterday after the meeting, retired captain Yvonne O’Rourke said that the Tánaiste reiterated to the group that it would be a “watershed moment”.

“I think that word itself is powerful, so we are expecting history to be changed,” O’Rourke said.

With reporting by Christina Finn, Niall O’Connor and Tadgh McNally.