Holly Cairns
Question:
52. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of members of the Defence Forces who have been dismissed from the force due to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence, from 2016 to date, in tabular form. [28487/24]
View answer
I have asked the military authorities to provide the details requested by the Deputy and understand that work has commenced on collating that information. I will revert to the Deputy with a reply as soon as possible.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51.
I refer to the above mentioned Parliamentary Question for answer on 3 July 2024: “To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of members of the Defence Forces who have been dismissed from the force due to domestic, sexual or gender-based violence, from 2016 to date, in tabular form.”
I was previously advised by the Military Authorities that it was not possible to collate the required information in the time available. This information has now been obtained and I am advised that 3 members of the Defence Forces have been dismissed for reasons of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence in the period in question.
|
Year
|
Number
|
Type
|
|
2017
|
1
|
Sexual
|
|
2023
|
1
|
Domestic
|
|
2024
|
1
|
Domestic
|
I wish again to express my unequivocal condemnation of any form of gender-based violence. Such behaviour has no place in a modern society or in the Defence Forces. The Defence Forces is not a place where someone who has been convicted of serious offences, including sexual offences or domestic or gender-based violence, can continue to serve.
It is also important that I note the pride we share in the vast majority of the men and women of the Defence Forces who serve the nation so admirably at home and on peacekeeping missions abroad. The actions of a minority completely go against the values of the Defence Forces and have no place in a modern workplace, particularly an organisation which is there to protect.
I trust this is of assistance to you.
