Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Matt Carthy TD, has called on the government to publish in full the report they received from the Defence Forces regarding the number of serving members with criminal convictions.

He said that there must be no place in the Defence Forces for those convicted of violent assaults, and that it is incumbent upon government and military management to ensure that all such offenders are removed from post.

This is critical, he said, in order to restore the integrity of the Defence Forces and the reputation of the majority of upstanding members of the Defence Forces, and also to send a clear societal message that gender-based attacks and violent assaults are not tolerated in any form.

Teachta Carthy said:

“People have rightly been horrified that a member of the Defence Forces walked free from court without a custodial sentence following a brutal and unprovoked assault. They are equally horrified that the offender received what amounts to a character reference from a superior officer.

“That horror has turned to anger at the revelations that other serving members of the Defence Forces have also been convicted of serious violent crimes without consequence.

“Nobody is more angered than the vast majority of Defence Force members who are upstanding servants to the state and who are incredibly frustrated that the integrity of the organisation has been damaged by these revelations.

“Government should publish the report that they have received from Defence Force management regarding the number of serving members that hold criminal convictions.

“There can be no place in the Defence Forces for those convicted of violent assaults and that it is incumbent upon government and military management to ensure that all such offenders are removed from post.

“Defence Force regulations must also be reviewed to ensure that the attendance of a commanding officer at the civilian trial of Defence Forces personnel does not yield what can be openly perceived as a character reference to a person pleading guilty for heinous crimes.

“In order to restore the integrity of the Defence Forces and the reputation of the majority of upstanding members of the Defence Forces, and also to send a clear societal message that gender-based attacks and violent assaults are not tolerated in any form, these actions must be taken without delay.”