Military officers group not engaging with external oversight body set up to transform culture

Defence Forces representatives are refusing to co-operate with an external oversight body set up to transform military culture in the aftermath of the Women of Honour allegations.

The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (Raco), which represents the military’s officer ranks, has said it will not engage with the External Oversight Body Defence Forces (EOBDF) due to what it says is a lack of independence.

Raco, as well as Pdforra, which represents the enlisted ranks, are objecting to the presence of Department of Defence secretary general Jacqui McCrum on the board. Raco says it will not engage with the board unless Ms McCrum is removed or military representative associations are admitted as members.

“We have come to the unsurprising conclusion that the EOBDF in its current guise (with the department included and the associations excluded) is neither independent, autonomous or indeed inclusive; in fact, it is completely imbalanced and represents a clear conflict of interest,” Raco leaders told officers recently in a letter.

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“To that end Raco today advised the EOBDF that the association cannot engage any further with the body until either the Department of Defence are removed or the representative associations are included as full ex officio members.”

It is understood Pdforra is considering taking a similar stance if its concerns are not met.

The establishment of an external oversight body was one of the recommendations of the Independent Review Group last year which was tasked with examining allegations of abuse, harassment and misogyny within the Defence Forces.

The allegations were first raised by a group of female veterans which became known as the Women of Honour. The oversight board is intended to drive cultural change in the Defence Forces and increase transparency and accountability.

Underpinning legislation is currently making its way through the Oireachtas having been considered by the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.

Military sources say Raco does not object to the EOBDF itself or its mission, and that its concerns relate solely to matters of independence. “This would never happen with the Guards. Could you imagine the Department of Justice sec gen being on the Policing Authority?” said one.

In its letter to members Raco said it has been calling for independent oversight since 2018, and that it has been placed in a “seemingly impossible position by the department”.

The report of the Independent Review Group recommended the presence of the secretary general on the oversight body. However, in its pre-legislative scrutiny of the pending legislation the Oireachtas committee recommended the secretary general should not be a member of the body as it “risks calling into question the independence and full autonomy” of the EOBDF.

Instead, it said Ms Crum and the representative bodies should be invited to meet the EOBDF “on a case by-case basis as the need arises”.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Defence said Minister for Defence Micheál Martin has considered feedback from stakeholders on the legislation and has made changes. However, she said that “due to the unique construct of the Department of Defence” the Minister has decided the secretary general should continue to sit on the body, the spokeswoman said.

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