The report of the Independent Review Group (IRG) established to examine dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces
was published following Government approval on 28 March 2023. The Government agreed to progress the recommendations contained in the Report.
One of the IRG’s recommendations called for the establishment of a complaints process for civilian employees and civil servants who work with the Defence Forces, whereby they can have access to redress in respect of complaints concerning grievances or dignity at work issues, where the matters concerned relate to their interactions with members of the Defence Forces.
To this end, the IRG Report called for engagement with all stakeholders and the establishment of a Working Group to consider the issues. Last December, I appointed Mr Kevin Duffy, former chair or the Labour Court, as the independent Chair of the Working Group.
In line with the IRG recommendation, the Working Group which has now been established is comprised of representatives from the Defence Forces’ representative associations, associations and unions representing both civil service and state industrial grades, the HR management functions (both civil and military), and a representative of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The following is a full list of membership.
|
Name
|
Organisation
|
Position
|
|
Kevin Duffy
|
Chair
|
|
|
Neil Richardson
|
RDFRA
|
General Secretary
|
|
Martin Bright
|
PDFORRA
|
Deputy Secretary
|
|
Lt Col Derek Priestley
|
RACO
|
Deputy Secretary
|
|
Karan O'Loughlin
|
SIPTU
|
PAC Divisional Organiser
|
|
Gerard Mooney
|
Connect
|
General Secretary
|
|
Brian Hewitt
|
Unite the Union
|
Regional Industrial Officer
|
|
Stephen Hall
|
AHCPS
|
Defence Branch Secretary
|
|
Paul Moyer
|
FORSA
|
General Secretary
|
|
Ronan Mulhall
|
Department of Defence
|
Principal, HR Branch
|
|
Col Daragh McKevitt
|
Defence Forces
|
Director of Human Resources
|
|
Ann Travers
|
Department of Public Expenditure, NDP and Reform
|
Principal Officer, Public Workforce Division
|
The Working Group held its first meeting on Friday 01 March 2024 and its second meeting is planned for Friday 22 March 2024. There will be minutes produced of all meetings of the Group which will be circulated across all members but there are currently no plans to publish these minutes.
