Women of Honor meet Taoiseach who refused to turn review into allegations

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THE WOMEN OF HONOR group met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin who told them there would be no change in the structure of the review of their allegations.

The group of former members of the Defense Forces who claim to have been victims of sexual harassment and intimidation had an hour and a half meeting this morning with the leader of Fianna Fáil.

They had launched a scathing attack on Defense Minister Simon Coveney after he announced a review last week.

Coveney had announced that he had obtained government approval for an independent review into allegations of sexual misconduct, intimidation and harassment in the defense forces.

However, the Women of Honor group, which alleged it was sexually assaulted and discriminated against while serving in the Irish Defense Force, called the process “unnecessary” and “shameful”.

Their criticisms center on their assertion that the review flies in the face of the original mandate and is nothing more than an “administrative review”.

The group, in a statement, said the Taoiseach had treated them “with courtesy”, but refused to change the government’s position.

“We have asked the Taoiseach to reconsider the Government’s position on the approved but flawed and wholly inadequate review of the issues raised regarding the Defense Force.

“We have also requested that the appropriate public legal inquiry be put in place, with responsibility for that inquiry being removed from the Ministry of Defence.

“Unfortunately, the Taoiseach has advised that the review will continue as is. While not ruling out a legal inquiry, it is unclear if or when a decision will be made on this and whether it depends on the outcome. of the review,” the band said.

The Women of Honor reiterated their call for a statutory inquiry and said they believe it is the only way to “get to the heart of the issues at hand”.

“We explained to the Taoiseach that another review, no matter how well intentioned by the government, would not get to the heart of the toxic culture of the Defense Force.

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“If the issues we have raised are not considered serious enough to merit a full statutory investigation, it is difficult to understand what is. We think this review makes more money after the bad ones because previous reviews have been ineffective.

“We strongly disagree with the government’s position of moving quickly to try to resolve the issues raised without taking the time to really understand the breadth and depth of the issues. It will achieve nothing more than painting over the cracks as opposed to lasting and meaningful change,” they added.

Retired judge Bronagh O’Hanlon has been named chairman of the group, along with Jane Williams, SIA Partners and Mark Connaughton SC.

Separately, Ruth Fitzgerald SC is to conduct an independent assessment of the specific actions taken by the Department of Defense and the Defense Force based on lengthy correspondence received from a retired member of the Defense Force, regarding allegations of sexual abuse.

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