Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 20 Feb 2002

Vol. 549 No. 1

Written Answers. - Bullying in the Workplace.

Jack Wall

Ceist:

132 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Defence the number of cases of bullying that have been reported in his Department in civilian and Army personnel sections; the position of the investigation of such cases; the position of the investigation of such cases; the mechanism his Department has for dealing with the problem; if he has satisfied himself that the mechanism is sufficient to meet the number of cases and to have them resolved satisfactorily; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6006/02]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

The number of alleged cases of bullying that have been reported in my Department are as shown in the following table.

Section	CasesReported	CasesFinalised	CasesOngoing
Civil Service – 1999 to date	3.00	1.00	2.00
Civilian Employees – 1999 to date	10.00	9.00	1.00
Military – 1999 to date	16*	12.00	4.00

* As reported to the Chief of Staff through established statutory redress procedures

The Department is obliged to investigate such cases in accordance with the procedures set out in, A Positive Working Environment – An Anti Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Bullying Policy for the Civil Service. The Department is satisfied that the procedures are capable of leading to a resolution of such cases of bullying within the Civil Service and civilian employee contexts.

The Defence Forces have had their own formal policies and procedures on sexual harassment and bullying in place since February 1996. These procedures are outlined in an Administrative Instruction on Interpersonal Relationships available to all members of the Defence Forces. Lectures and briefings in this area have continued over the years as an integral element of the training syllabus on recruit, cadet and career courses, and in addition on those occasions when troops are formed up for overseas training.

The Chief of Staff has established a special military steering group to examine these issues. Dr. Eileen Doyle, who chaired the Government's Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying, is the expert civilian chairperson of this group. Her task is to determine the nature and extent of sexual harassment, harassment and bullying in the Defence Forces, to review existing policies and procedures, and to make recommendations on strategies and programmes relating to awareness and education in this whole area. Dr. Doyle and the joint civilian-military group will produce their report by next March.