Danny Healy-Rae demands independent inquiry into Defence Forces
Danny Healy-Rae spoke on 8 February 2022 about the treatment of members of the Defence Forces, criticising pay and conditions and backing women who raised concerns. He said the review proposed by Mr Cogney would be ineffective and called for an independent public statutory inquiry and for civil and criminal laws to be applied.
Motion and gratitude
He thanked the Deputy Secretary and the Sinn Fein Party for bringing the motion forward and framed the debate as overdue recognition for the Defence Forces.
Pay, conditions and peacekeeping
He criticised long-standing failures in pay and conditions, recalling men and women who served on peacekeeping duties in Lebanon and elsewhere and saying they were not being paid properly, had to sleep in cars and in some cases relied on income supplement - a situation he called disgraceful.
Concerns about the proposed review and investigations
He noted a statement by "these women of honour" dated 6 February that the review proposed by Mr Cogney would be ineffective and powerless. He referred to reports of military police investigating an army officer and warned that leaving that review to internal processes would be like "putting the fox in charge of the chickens."
Call for an independent inquiry and application of the law
He urged the minister to commission an independent public statutory inquiry and insisted that the civil and criminal laws of the State be applied to the Defence Forces and especially to the women who have raised concerns. He also said he has people affected but no one on the ground to assist in every case.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
I would like to thank the Deputy Secretary and the Sinn Fein Party for bringing this motion forward here tonight. I suppose for far too long I believe that the Defence Forces do not get recognition for the work that they do. We wanted to look back on all the men and women from our army that went to peacekeeping duties in Lebanon and other places and had to put their own lives in danger. We had for too long that they were not being paid properly and that they had to sleep in cars and that they were actually getting income supplement. I mean, that kind of a situation where people were walking on behalf of the State and not being paid properly and having to get income supplement, that was disgraceful. In this case where these women of honour, they have issued a statement last Sunday, the 6th of February, that the current review proposed by Mr Cogney as one that will be ineffective and powerless to get to the real heart of the issues. The group was commenting following reports of military police investigating an army officer. I mean, that is like putting the fox in charge of the chickens. So, look, Minister, I am asking you to have an independent public statutory inquiry and for the civil and criminal laws of the State to be applied to the Defence Forces and especially these women. I mean, that is a lot of the same kind of people that are constantly receiving the襲ings of the camp scene. I have a lot of people, but I have no one on the ground. I have no one on the ground, but I have no one on the ground. I have no one on the ground. I really want them to be as the first one in the last night. I can drive a lot of people to go for a long way. When you're dating, the people who have to be advanced and also have to go for an airport or anything.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
