Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2022
99. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the number of reports he has received from the Ombudsman that make recommendations and or directions to him in respect of complainants' grievances in the past three years to date; the number of these cases that have been resolved; and the number that remain open. [3732/22]
View answerIn 2019, the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (ODF) referred 53 case reports to me for consideration, of which 30 contained recommendations. I have referred my final determination in respect of 24 of these to the military authorities for implementation and informed the ODF accordingly. The remaining 6 cases, which are of a complex nature and subject to ongoing litigation, remain under consideration.
In 2020, the ODF referred 27 case reports to me my office for consideration, of which 12 contained recommendations. My final determination in respect of these 12 cases has been referred to the military authorities for implementation and the ODF has been informed accordingly.
In 2021, the ODF referred 38 case reports to me for consideration, of which 17 contained recommendations. Of these, 1 is subject to a parallel WRC case and requires further deliberation; 2 are awaiting input from the military authorities and 7 remain under consideration. My final determination in respect of 7 cases has been referred to the military authorities for implementation, with the ODF informed accordingly.
It is noteworthy that, while every case report from the ODF will not necessarily contain recommendations, it is not uncommon for more than one recommendation to be made in some reports. Cases can be lengthy and complex and recommendations can often have policy implications that require very careful consideration.
