The Women of Honour Group has said they and the Government are not on the same page yet about what form an inquiry into abuse in the Defence Forces would take.
Speaking after meeting with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste at Government Buildings this evening, the group said the conversation was "spirited" and that they would have further discussions at a meeting on Wednesday.
Emerging from the meeting which lasted almost an hour and a half, Diane Byrne from the group said:
"It's still ongoing so I won't go into too much detail but we haven't heard anything yet that's moving us off any position.
"We are still very clear that it needs to be a tribunal with public scrutiny because of the secrecy and concealment that we've all experienced up to this point and a lot more than just us.
"At this stage, we really don't know what they're going to do but we're going to continue pushing," Ms Byrne said.
A Government spokesman said the Government listened carefully to the group but that it wants to ensure any inquiry is timely and serves the best interests of survivors of abuse.
The Taoiseach and Tánaiste met this evening with the Women of Honour Group to discuss the Government's commitment to advance the recommendations of the International Review Group report, including a Statutory Inquiry.
"The Taoiseach and Tánaiste listened carefully to the concerns raised, and thanked the group for taking the time to meet with them.
"Following the meeting, submissions from a number of stakeholders will be considered, in consultation with the Attorney General.
"In finalising the terms of reference for a statutory inquiry the Government wants to ensure that it is timely and serves the best interests of survivors of abuse.
"And that, together with the implementation of the other recommendations in the Report, there is a fundamental transformation of culture within the Defence Forces."
Before the meeting, the Women of Honour group had said it would be hard to accept less than the terms of reference they have set out for an inquiry into allegations of abuse in the Defence Forces and that the format must be a full public inquiry.
Earlier, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin said that the format of an inquiry has not yet been decided but that any investigation must enable cultural transformation in the Defence Forces.
"I think the important thing is that we need a statutory inquiry that is timely and that can enable people to come forward, but also then enable a transformation and a cultural transformation within our Defence Forces," he said.
The Tánaiste also said the type of inquiry has yet to be decided and that the Government had received submissions from a range of groups about what format an inquiry into allegations of abuse in the Defence Forces should take.
He said there will be several more meetings with the Women of Honour Group and others before a final decision on any investigation will be made.
Among their priorities are to find out what was known about abuse at official levels, if complaints were appropriately addressed, if promotion prospects of complainants were diminished and if internal disciplinary processes were used to retaliate against them.
They have also sought guarantees of no adverse affects for those who talk to the tribunal.
