Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 63 together.

The Irish Red Cross Society is an autonomous body, established by the Irish Red Cross Society Order 1939 pursuant to the Red Cross Act 1938. The society is an independent charitable organisation with full powers to manage and administer its affairs through its governing body, the central council. Membership of the central council is by way of appointment by the Government or by election in accordance with the rules of the society.

The issue of governance has been the subject of consideration by a temporary working group in the society since February 2008. The chairman of the temporary working group presented the findings to the central council of the Irish Red Cross Society at a meeting held at the end of November 2009. The report was received in the Department of Defence at the end of January 2010. Officials in the Department of Defence met recently with officials in the Irish Red Cross Society to discuss the contents of the report and the implications of the recommendations arising from the report.

One of the proposals emanating from the report relates to the appointment to the position of chairperson of the society. In accordance with Article 9 of the Irish Red Cross Society Order 1939, the chairman of the Irish Red Cross Society shall be a member of the central council and shall be nominated by the president of the society. The Red Cross Act 1944 provides that the President of Ireland shall by virtue of her office be president of the society. The Government has not yet put forward a name to the President to replace Mr. David Andrews who retired from the position of chairperson on 31 December 2009. In the interim, the vice chairman of the society acts as chairman.

The contents of the governance report and the likely and consequential impact on both primary and secondary legislation of the findings of the report will be the subject of interdepartmental and inter-agency discussion. These discussions will involve the Departments of the Taoiseach, Foreign Affairs and Defence, the Irish Red Cross Society and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Thereafter, the Minister for Defence will bring before Government any statutory changes deemed necessary.

In June 2007, a letter from staff members to the chairman about internal society matters was circulated to members of the central council, one of whom is an official from my Department. The Minister also received an anonymous letter in October 2008 from a person purporting to be a member of the central council of the Irish Red Cross Society, who was concerned about governance and procedures within the society. In March 2009, the Minister for Defence received correspondence from a member of the central council who informed the Minister of her decision to resign from the council of the society. In the letter, the council member expressed concerns about governance, accountability and transparency issues within the society. The issues raised in the aforementioned correspondence are wide ranging and are primarily matters which should be resolved internally by the society.

In nominating persons to the central council, the Government considers that it is highly desirable that the society should have on its governing body professional people with a wide variety of knowledge and expertise, gained through work experience in both the public and private sector and volunteer experience with the society. The Minister for Defence is anxious to ensure that all his dealings with the society are conducted in accordance with the society's basic principle of independence from Government.

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