A YEAR ON, NO PROGRESS
IN THE wake of the Women Of Honour documentary, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Defence Minister Simon Coveney and politicians of all hues clamoured to be photographed sympathising and empathising with the group.
However, last month, a year after the documentary first aired, the former Army officers issued a damning indictment of the State’s response.
They said: ‘Women of Honour highlighted a small sample of the horrors and injustices experienced by the men and women of the Defence Forces.
‘Collectively, we decided to stand together to empower ourselves in the face of bullies and we hoped to empower others to do the same.
‘We have been met, for the most part, with empathy and support.
‘But in the case of the Defence Forces some (of those who
engaged) were not only complicit
in the past but implicated. Some believe we were naive but what choice did we have? Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, our engagements resulted in the unwelcome half measure of the Independent Review Group. There is nothing to reassure anyone that this is anything more than an effort at damage limitation.’