President has snubbed us, claim Army abuse survivors
Group asking President to intervene on terms of reference for tribunal into their allegations
A GROUP representing survivors of abuse in the Army say they were snubbed by President Higgins after appealing for his intervention on the terms of reference of the tribunal examining their allegations.
Defence Forces Justice Alliance (DFJA) consists of more than 400 survivors of ‘the Defence Forces’ gross negligence, gross mismanagement, and oppressive/ abusive/ criminal behaviour’.
DFJA wrote to the President last summer seeking his input as the Army’s Supreme Commander.
Working in tandem with the Women of Honour group, whistleblower Anthony O’Brien of the DFJA is seen as having played a critical role in securing a tribunal of inquiry.
However, a letter to Mr Higgins, written by 32-year army veteran Alan Nolan, expressed grave concern over the Government’s response to the Internal Review Group which found that the Army barely tolerates women and, at its worst, verbally, physically, sexually, and psychologically abuses
‘Proposals will be legally challenged’
women in its ranks.
He told the President: ‘I am only one person in a group of hundreds who engaged as advised with Raise a Concern, and the Independent Review Group (IRG).’
Mr Nolan said that when it came to setting up the tribunal, despite being commended for being ‘the best organised, best presented contributors to the IRG report … we have been totally excluded as stakeholders since’.
He warned: ‘The perpetrators of wrongdoing must not be allowed to undermine the necessity for a full and proper tribunal of inquiry.’
The letter concluded by noting: ‘We respectfully request for your intervention in your capacity as Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces.’
Commenting on the letter, Mr Nolan said: ‘As a result of the difficulties we experienced, we have been encouraged to step forwards and report abuse.
‘I have tried to contribute through the chain of command but at every single position I have been met by a brick wall.
‘We are simply campaigning to get the truth out. Michael D Higgins is at the top of the chain of command. He has been contacted as a last resort.’
A further letter from the group to TDs and Senators has been issued over the absence of a Presidential response.
In that letter, they note that contact was made as ‘a measure of last resort, derived from a deep sense of urgency, concern and alarm in order to bring to his attention that the approved proposals are entirely unacceptable to all of our members’.
As part of his Presidential duties, the group notes, ‘the President is the Army Supreme Commander in whose name and under whose direction the Minister for Defence and the Government command executive and administrative powers over the Defence Forces.’
In the correspondence, the DFJA says it warned the President that ‘the terms of reference has the potential to bring the Office of the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces into disrepute’.
Like the Women of Honour, the group are especially concerned that the terms of reference have been determined by a minister and a department being investigated by the tribunal.
The group also say the proposals ‘will be legally challenged should they be passed by both the Houses of the Oireachtas’.
The group say Tánaiste and Defence Minister Micheál Martin was ‘written to and requested to recuse himself from the process of orchestrating the scope, terms of reference and selection of the chair of the tribunal’.
It claims the Tánaiste ‘failed to address the request and forwarded the request to his staff to look into the matter’.
It also claims Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was ‘also written to and requested to intervene, to ensure that the scope, terms of reference and selection of the chair of the tribunal would not be orchestrated by a conflicted, vested and a “to be investigated” minister’.
It said the Taoiseach ‘failed to address the request and forwarded the request to the Tánaiste/ minister for his attention’.
Others contacted by the group include the chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Fine Gael TD Charlie Flanagan, and the Attorney General, Rossa Fanning.
The group noted that ‘no acknowledgement of the request was ever received from the Attorney General, and no meeting ever materialised’.
The DFJA had a similar experience when trying to secure the President’s support.
The group said: ‘A view was expressed to the President that the Minister for Defence and his secretary-general may be complicit in wrongdoing and working against the setting up of a tribunal with correct terms of reference appropriate to address the broad range of toxic issues within the Department of Defence/ Defence Forces requiring investigation.’
However, the group noted that despite these serious concerns, ‘the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces/ President of Ireland never acknowledged the request, never met with us, and never effected the requested emergency intervention’.
A source in the group said of the President’s lack of response: ‘It is a snub, and it goes beyond snubbing. The letter was sent by registered post, was delivered. We were informed the President had seen it, and that’s the last we heard of it.’
One source in the group said: ‘Being Supreme Commander is not under Section 17 of the Defence Act a ceremonial role. It brings responsibilities.
‘The President has for the last 12 years has been the Supreme Commander and all this toxicity has gone on during his watch. We can only hope that in not responding he has been badly advised.
‘Tánaiste failed to address request’