Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on his election. I will start and finish this contribution with quotes. The first is from an Irish priest and I will conclude with a quote from a Brazilian priest. The first is a person who has challenged social injustice in Ireland, Fr. Peter McVerry. He said:

In a community that loves one another, there should be no-one poor, unless all are poor; there should be no-one homeless, no-one lonely, no-one sick or alone without visitors, no-one in prison who has been abandoned and written off, there should be no-one rejected or marginalised.

That says everything about Fr. Peter McVerry and what he stands for.

I congratulate the Social Democrats on the motion which is apt and topical given what is going on in these services. I spoke earlier about charity in Ireland. I worked for St. John of God's for a number of years and it is a great organisation. However, the revelation that 14 executives took €1.6 million is sickening. As Deputy Adams said, the average worker in St. John of God's will earn €25,000 to €35,000. The chief executive is earning six times that amount.

The worst part is that the €1.6 million, which was in some ways taxpayers' money, was siphoned off from fund-raisers, for example, the families of service users. People were enriching themselves through voluntary bodies.

The charity sector comprises organisations that do vital work in the community and play a role in trying to address inequalities and social injustice, but that is not up to charities. It should be for the State to provide proper funding and services, especially public services. This is almost privatisation by stealth and the corporatisation of charity. The corporate mentality of charities is incredible. Some do very good work, but certain people in the charity business are making a great deal of money for themselves. Sometimes, the poverty industry pays well.

I will conclude with a famous quote from a Brazilian priest, Dom Hélder Câmara, that says everything about what charity is really all about and the myths surrounding it. He was a great advocate of social justice, particularly in Brazil. He stated, "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

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