LAST UPDATE | 25 Mar 2023

THE WOMEN OF Honour group will meet with the Tánaiste on Monday but have expressed “concerns about his approach” and said they have only agreed to the meeting “out of courtesy”.

The group also said a Review into their claims that is due to go before Cabinet on Tuesday is “pointless”.

The Women of Honour group (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 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 suffered depression, eating disorders and suicidal ideation as a result of their experiences, while some left their jobs in the forces.

The group have been invited to meet Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin on Monday afternoon.

However, in a statement the Women of Honour group said they have only agreed to attend “out of courtesy” and have expressed “concern” about the approach.

An Independent Review Group is due to present its findings to Cabinet on the group’s claims on Tuesday.

Sources have said they anticipate it to contain serious findings of abuse, and raise concerns that allegations were mishandled.

The WoH have said they “never agreed with this review due to the lack of statutory powers to compel people and documents”.

The group added that the Department “refused to give us any updates throughout the process”.

A statement from the group added: “Bringing people to meetings, to be talked to, about a report that we are not able to read smacks of little more than a public relations stunt by the Government.

“It is compounding the hurt to victims by continuing to afford them such little respect, in failing to even allow them to read the report.”

They called it “disappointing” and added that the issue continues to be mishandled.    

The group said it will use the meeting on Monday to “question the Tánaiste as to why he ever agreed to a Review that had no powers” and “why he is not allowing us to read the report, even with him present”.

The Independent Review Group was established 15 months ago and WoH said they have seen “no changes and no resolutions” since.

The WoH group called for a “victim-led, independent, agreed statutory process”.

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson from the Department of Defence said: “Tánaiste Micheál Martin has considered the Independent Review Group Report in full in consultation with the Attorney General, and he will be bringing the Report to Government for its consideration this week.

“He will be meeting with stakeholders prior to this. It would be inappropriate to comment further in advance of these meetings.”