Military part of group formed to examine sex harassment meets

The military element of the steering group set up to investigate allegations of widespread sexual harassment in the Defence Forces held its first meeting yesterday.

In attendance were Maj Gen Jim Sreenan, Deputy Chief-of-Staff (support); the Director of Administration, Col Declan Carroll; the Director of Personnel, Col Peter Ryan; as well as the most senior serving line female officer, Comdt Maureen McHenry.

According to a Defence Forces' spokesman, the group discussed the qualities needed in a civilian expert to be appointed to the steering group. They determined that such a person must be independent, must be considered an expert in the area of sexual harassment, must be totally objective, and "must be absolutely above reproach".

He/she will be appointed to the group by the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith.

The civilian expert will guide and advise the steering group on best practice in its investigations into sexual harassment allegations, "ensuring quality assurance". He/she will advise on the selection of an outside agency which will conduct a survey on sexual harassment in the Defence Forces.

He/she will examine the thesis prepared by former Army captain Dr Tom Cloonan on the incidence of sexual harassment in the Defence Forces, and his findings.

Dr Cloonan's research for a doctoral thesis, in communications at Dublin City University, was conducted between 1996 and 2000. Of 60 women he interviewed, 28 made allegations of various types of sexual harassment, with 26 of the alleged incidents involving senior officers.

The outside agency to be appointed to investigate sexual harassment in the Defence Forces could be either a consultancy or public service body, but the steering group concluded yesterday that its remit should also include sexual harassment allegations by men as well as women, if such complaints were brought forward.

It should also identify all incidents of unacceptable behaviour and identify "the harassers" whether superiors, peers, or individuals acting randomly but who had no association with any particular group.

It should investigate the context of such incidents, where they take place, as well as likely times.

Current complaints channels would be investigated to see whether they work and were deserving of confidence and, if not, establish what changes were needed to build that confidence.

Similarly, the agency would look at existing policy towards harassment to see whether it was comprehensive.

To cover the interim between now and such an agency's findings and recommendations, the steering group agreed that the current "A7" administrative instruction should be "translated" into a more user-friendly format.

Personnel will be alerted to its content through an internal advertising campaign, involving leaflets, posters, etc., with more education and training programmes to teach what was acceptable behaviour. Women's days are also planned.

The Army spokesman would not predict when the agency's findings or recommendations would be available. The imponderable was "what might happen when the tree is shaken. You don't know what could fall out," he said. The incidence, even existence, of sexual harassment of males was unknown. "However, we are trying to have it done as fast as possible. It's in our best interest," he said.