Women of Honour programme members express concerns over Simon Coveney's interim measures

Those featured in the Women of Honour (WOH) group have raised concerns about the interim measures that have been put in place by the Minister for Defence.

The group previously came to public attention through the RTÉ Radio documentary Women of Honour, in which a number of female soldiers detailed alleged cases of bullying and sexual harassment while serving at the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF).

Last week, Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney announced the appointment of a Confidential Contact Person (CCP) as an interim support measure for both current and former members of the PDF who have been affected by alleged abuse while serving in the army.

The service is provided by the organisation known as Raiseaconcern, who, according to its site, is dedicated to advising on and operating whistleblowing schemes for employers.

Established in 2013, it also conducts independent investigations of workplace wrongdoing and engage in dispute resolution.

Minister Coveney added that he would listen to and assist current and former members of the PDF.

However, Karina Molloy of the WOH group said that after meeting with the organisation recently, the group are unhappy about the lack of support for those sharing their experiences, claiming that the Department of Defence had appointed the organisation without consultation.

She added that WOH want further clarification about the supports that will be provided to those who share their accounts.

The Dept of Defence said in response: "Given the nature of the allegations, the Minister acted quickly in putting in place an appropriate confidential contact person who is independent and outside of the chain of command; this was welcomed."

"If there are additional queries and clarifications to be undertaken in relation to this service they will be attended to without delay," it added.

Minister Coveney previously claimed that the CCP would help each individual to make an informed decision in relation to next steps regarding their allegations, and would update the Minister on the number and types of cases and that all of this would inform the Independent Review process.

In related news, army whistleblower and retired PDF Captain, Tom Clonan, recently claimed in an article published on TheJournal.ie that dozens have contacted him since WOH premiered, all of which recounted alleged stories of sexual assault and bullying.

Mr Clonan also referred to the WOH as "a national #MeToo movement for Ireland" in his article.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call Samaritans Ireland at 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie, or you can contact the Rape Crisis Centre by visiting drcc.ie.

Help is always at hand and there is always someone available to listen.