Tánaiste Micheál Martin told the Defence Forces' chief of staff he wanted all serious complaints of a sexual nature to be immediately referred to Gardaí and no longer dealt with by military police.
In a letter in April, Mr Martin said it was his “strong preference” that all allegations of sexual assault should be investigated externally without delay.
The move had been recommended in the wake of the ‘Women of Honour’ report into widespread mistreatment of female members of the Defence Forces including harassment, abuse, and discrimination.
However, the recommendation that all serious allegations of a sexual nature were dealt with by gardaí required legislation which the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence did not want to wait for.
In his letter, Mr Martin asked that commanding officers be told that any complaints under the Criminal (Rape) Amendment Act should not be investigated by military police.
In correspondence with the Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Seán Clancy, the Tánaiste wrote: “I would ask you to confirm that the interim arrangements have been put in place as soon as possible.”
In a handwritten note, Lieut Gen Clancy said a concise order was to be issued “immediately” to all commanders noting their victim’s handbook, their victim-centred approach, and the need to “comply” with the requirements suggested by Micheál Martin.
Separately, in correspondence with the Tánaiste, the Chief of Staff urged that any oversight body set up to ensure the Defence Forces prioritised better treatment of female members should not include either current or retired staff of the Department of Defence.
In a letter, Lieut Gen Seán Clancy said the “unacceptable behaviours” outlined in the report were completely contrary to the ethos and values of the Defence Forces.
He wrote: “I fully accept that any incident of inappropriate behaviour is one incident too many and will not be tolerated.”
On the makeup of any potential oversight body, he said he understood that it could not include any serving or retired members of the Defence Forces.
However, he asked that this be extended to the Department of Defence saying the makeup of the group needed to be “carefully considered”.
His letter said: “This position is advised in consideration of the internal oversight and policy function that the Department executes with regard to the development of HR strategies, procedures and systems for the Defence Forces.”
In another letter, Lieut Gen Clancy said the military were pushing ahead with plans for maternity clothing for female members.
He said three tenders would be issued this year for uniforms that would ensure “all genders and body shapes are catered for”.
“With regards to female specific requirements, consultants have been appointed to advise on the design of the new uniform,” he wrote.
“These consultants will meet with the DF [Defence Forces] Women's Network to ensure their concerns are captured including the provision of suitable maternity uniforms.”
Lieut Gen Clancy also told the Tánaiste a recommendation about a statement on confidentiality for any personnel seeking support had already been put in place.
He said it was broadly like civil service statements but included similar exceptions for “life-threatening situations, [and] statutory responsibility to report any breaches of criminal and military law”.
Asked about the records, the Defence Forces said they were working in close cooperation with the Department of Defence to redesign grievance procedures and HR policies.
They said they were also ready to work with the government’s recently announced tribunal of inquiry to examine the complaints processes within the Defence Forces.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help.
