Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

It is extraordinary that a report approved in principle by the central committee of the Irish Red Cross Society on 28 November 2009 has still not been submitted to the Department. There are urgent reasons for the changes that are necessary. In the event that the review does not address certain areas which the Minister, on the basis of advice and his own analysis, considers to be necessary, will he add to the recommendations made in the report?

Will legislation be required to implement the recommendations of the review? Will the Minister give an undertaking to address the matter expeditiously? Press coverage of the Irish Red Cross Society is not of the type we would like to see surrounding this important national organisation which has done much good nationally and internationally.

We cannot afford to waste time. When the Minister receives the report he should deal with it expeditiously. I ask him to give an undertaking that he will do so. While Deputies will be aware of speculation concerning the contents of the report, we do not know precisely what is in it. If the Minister decides the report does not go far enough, will he be disposed to go further? It appears that governance issues in the Irish Red Cross Society must be addressed effectively and clearly to strengthen the image of the organisation against the background of the current flow of negative press coverage.

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