Gerard P. Craughwell challenges security claims after Zelensky visit
Gerard P. Craughwell expressed condolences to the Lynch family and criticised official accounts of the Zelensky visit, arguing the event was not "perfect." He said security depended on foreign police, raised drone concerns, and called for broader measurement of sexual harassment across state services.
Zelensky visit security concerns
Craughwell said the visit to Leinster House was welcome but not without serious security failings. He noted that French, Northern Irish and Portuguese police provided security rather than Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces, and warned that drones in the Irish Sea may have put the visitor at risk.
Assessment of the visit
He rejected the narrative that "everything went perfect," saying it was "a lucky day that nothing went wrong" and emphasised that the visitor is a high-value target from a Russian perspective. Craughwell stressed honesty about the risks encountered during the trip.
Defence Forces survey on harassment
Craughwell cited a recent survey of 6,500 Defence Forces members reporting 58 instances of sexual harassment and 40 of sexual assault, noting uncertainty whether those figures overlap. He said any sexual harassment or bullying is unacceptable and those responsible should be identified and removed.
Call for comparative workplace surveys
He argued the Defence Forces have been singled out and proposed surveying other state organisations - including the HSE, prison service, fire service and ambulance service - to quantify sexual harassment and bullying across the public sector. Craughwell said transparency and parity are needed when addressing workplace abuse.
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I too, on behalf of the independent group, would like to express our condolences to the Lynch family on the passing of Gerald, and may he rest in peace. Something that needs to be dispelled. We constantly hear that after the Zelensky visit to Ireland, that it was extremely successful, nothing to worry about. Everything went perfect. Everything didn't go perfect. It was a lucky day that nothing went wrong. We had foreign police looking after the security, French, Northern Irish police, and Portuguese looking after the security of the man. Not our own Garda Síochána, not our own Defence Forces. It is outrageous to suggest that everything went well. At the end of the day, Zelensky came. It was a wonderful visit here in Leinster House. It was good that Ireland stood up and welcomed the man into the country, but it was by no means a perfect visit. There were drones in the Irish Sea, which may have put his life in peril. We must remember, he is probably the number one target in the world from the Russian perspective. They would like nothing better than to take him out, so they wouldn't. So let's be honest about it. Now let me move on to yesterday and the debate on defence. And I've got to compliment yourself, Deputy Leader. The speech you gave here yesterday was absolutely 100% on the nail. All but for the tiny bit at the end, which was all about a swimming pool in Kildare. But in fairness to you, the speech you gave was fantastic. Something I want to deal with, and that is that a recent survey of 6,500 members of the Defence Forces showed that 58 people responded saying that they had been subjected to some form of sexual harassment and 40 said they had suffered a sexual assault. Now we don't know whether the 58 and the 40 are all part of the same group or not. But something I think we need to put on the record, and I think you'll agree with me here, Deputy Leader. Any form of sexual harassment or bullying in any organisation is totally unacceptable. And those that are involved in it need to be called out, need to be identified, and need to be removed from any organisation. But the only organisation in this country that has had that screen or that lens put on them is the Defence Forces. I wonder how much sexual harassment there is in the HSE. How much sexual harassment there is in the prison service, in the fire service, in the ambulance service. You know, how much bullying is there? I come from a teaching background. Bullying was a massive problem in teaching. So it was. So we're demonising the most loyal citizens of the state. Let's have a survey of all of the other state organisations, and let's actually quantify the issue of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and bullying in the workplace. And let's be honest and open about it. And I think you'd agree with that, Laskar Herlock and Deputy Leader.
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