The Minister for Defence, Willie O'Dea, has said major challenges still face the Defence Forces in their efforts to root out sexism and harassment.
He was commenting on a survey which show that 11% of serving women soldiers said harassment was an aspect of military life they disliked.
There has been a huge focus in recent years on eliminating bullying in the Defence Forces. A large range of measures have been taken, including the appointment of an Ombudsman and hundreds of anti-bullying marshals.
When prompted, one in four women (27%) agreed that they had been bullied or harassed at work.
The minister said these findings are disappointing. He said that while military life is robust, bullying is not training for anything.
On the positive side, over 70% of women respondents think the Defence Forces is a good place to work; they enjoy their job, and are happy with pay.
The Defence Forces say the 11% of women who mentioned harassment compares with 10.7% in the general workforce, and there has been a reduction from 36% in the forces a few years ago.
However, the incoming Chief of Staff, Major General Dermot Earley, said that although huge progress has been made, the authorities are not satisfied and they will strive very hard to bring the figures down further.
