Soldiers disciplined over barracks bullying claim

Two soldiers have been disciplined after an inquiry into allegations that a private was locked into a locker and ordered to eat food off a floor at an army barracks.

The internal army inquiry was set up last November after fellow soldiers complained about the treatment of the man by trainers at McKee barracks in Dublin.

The Defence Forces confirmed that two army personnel had been disciplined as a result.

“One has been reprimanded and one has been fined,” said a spokesman.

Around 40 members of the platoon concerned and the officers training them were interviewed by military police as part of the inquiry.

The solider claimed that during an inspection of sleeping quarters at the Barracks, he was punished for untidiness by being locked in a locker and ordered to eat food from the floor after it was discovered hidden under his bed.

McKee Barracks, which is adjacent to the Phoenix Park on Blackhorse Avenue, is one of two army barracks in Dublin. It was named after Dick McKee, the IRA member who was shot while trying to escape by the British during the War of Independence in 1920.

It is also the home to the world famous Army Equitation School, which has produced some of Ireland's leading showjumpers.

The soldiers’ organisation, PDFORRA, said the fact the soldier at McKee barracks had not complained on his own behalf showed there were still problems with reporting bullying.

“The cultural change required at barrack level to deal with the bullying issue has not yet happened,” said general secretary, Gerry Rooney.

He said this was despite the changes made since a major report into bullying in the army in 2002.

“The real issue is that people have to be confident that making a complaint, whether formal or informal, will not lead to problems for them further down the line. Generally people don’t have that confidence in the system.”

However, Mr Rooney said that the careers of the recruit at the centre of the inquiry and those who highlighted the bullying had not been adversely affected.

He added that paradoxically, the biggest measure of the army’s success in combating bullying would be when more complaints flowed in.

The Army spokesman said the culture of the army was changing and added that designated contact officers had been appointed to every barracks.

“They are army staff but they are properly trained in counselling and dealing with these incidents. It makes it easier if there are complaints of wrongdoing to go to these people,” he said.

He added that the army’s chief of staff Jim Sreenan Lieutenant General had recently visited a number of recruit platoons to emphasise the change of culture taking place.