Tanaiste appoints chair of new oversight body for Defence Forces

Professor Brian MacCraith will be the chair of the External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces as part of six appointments made by Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin.

The establishment of the External Oversight Body follows recommendations from the Independent Review Group (IRG) on Dignity and Equality Issues in the Defence Forces last week.

That report found a “discernible pattern of rape and sexual assault” in its analysis of participants’ contributions while interviewees also told the IRG of bullying and sexual harassment within the Defence Forces which caused long-term pain and injury.

The report is highly critical of the internal complaints system and also found that incidents of bullying, rape and other serious physical assaults are “covered up”.

On misogyny in the Defence Forces in general, different sources available to the IRG concluded that, at best, the Defence Forces “barely tolerates women” and, at its worst, “verbally, physically, sexually and psychologically abuses women in its ranks”.

The IRG recommended independent oversight of the key elements of its report to a specially convened group, potentially on a statutory basis.

On the back of that recommendation, Mr Martin has appointed Prof MacCraith, Josephine Feehily, Patricia King, Julie Sinnamon, Angus Hegarty and Jacqui McCrum to the External Oversight Body which is initially on a non-statutory basis.

Further appointments may be made in the near future in line with the recommendations of the report, which sought the addition of a former senior member of an overseas defence force or defence department with experience in successfully undertaking significant transformation.

Mr Martin said the immediate establishment of the External Oversight Body is “a critical element to driving the necessary culture change throughout the Defence Forces”.

He said it would increase transparency and accountability.

“The calibre and combined skills and experience of each member gives me every confidence that this will happen,” Mr Martin added.

The first task of the body is to develop detailed terms of reference in line with the recommendations of the report for the approval of the Tanaiste.

Mr Martin told RTE’s News At One that the challenge was to oversee implementation of all of the report’s recommendations but also a “cultural transformation” within the Defence Forces.

“Particularly in terms of human resource management, in terms of the principles of dignity at the workplace, safety in the workplace, mutual respect, very basic and fundamental principles to make sure that change occurs,” he said.

Former president of Dublin City University Prof MacCraith previously chaired the High-Level Task Force on Covid-19 Vaccination and the Future of Media Commission.

Ms Feehily has more than 25 years’ experience at senior levels in the Irish public service, including leading the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, and established and chaired the first Policing Authority in Ireland.

Ms King is the former general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and former vice president of Siptu.

Ms Sinnamon is former chief executive of Enterprise Ireland and sits on the Investment Committee of the Irish Strategic Investment Fund and the Irish Government’s Climate Change Advisory Council.

In 2022 she was appointed as chair of the Independent Oversight Group which oversees the implementation of the Commission on Defence Forces report’s recommendations.

Mr Hegarty held several executive roles at Dell Technologies and also served as the chair of the Executive Council for the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union.

In 2021, the Government appointed him as co-chair of the Balance for Better Business.

Ms McCrum is secretary general of the Department of Defence.