Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to what is arguably one of the most of important debates in this House because it addresses something that is not just relevant for us, as legislators or politicians, but also as human beings. Last week, as I travelled through Clonakilty and Bandon, I came across an anger about this issue that was unparalleled in my ten years in public life. A light has been shone in a very dark corner and it has been extremely uncomfortable for every one of us. It is too simple to lay the blame for this at the door of the Government or politicians generally. Unfortunately, there is a malaise in human nature itself, which is what makes it so uncomfortable for us. That malaise is real and has been there since time immemorial. It is an ugly nettle that we, as a society, will have to grasp. There will be much more discomfort for us as a society as lights are shone in other dark corners. I urge the Government to continue in this vein because now is the time for leadership and courage. It must continue its quest to hold all those who claim charitable status to account. I commend the Minister for Justice and Equality for the further revelations he laid bare last night. Again, it is very uncomfortable for any of us who has supported charities such as Rehab to realise the uselessness of that support, based on the amount of money which actually went to the service users. Supporting service users is the intention of anyone who puts €5 into a bucket and gets a couple of scratch cards. I regret the response of Rehab and appeal to that organisation, in the interests of society as a whole, to play the ball in this debate, not the man. If there are facts to be put in the public domain or if there are corrections to be made to anything the Minister said, they would be very welcome. Playing the ball is what needs to be done.

There has been too much deference shown in our society during the years, at enormous cost. Too much deference was shown to the political class, the church and many other organisations and the charity sector is no different. We cannot assume that because an organisation is charitable, it is holier than thou and good. There are many organisations about which I have many concerns, one of which is Family & Life. That organisation sends letters to what I believe is a very targeted audience of primarily elderly, vulnerable people, soliciting donations of up to €7,000 in the name of charity. It deserves to have a strong light shone on its activities. There are numerous others about which we should also be concerned. We must have courage, be brave and continue our quest to shine that light.

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