Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If I were to decide where almost €1 million goes on the basis of branches in individual parts of the country, I have no doubt that I would try to prioritise parts of Cork, but that would not be appropriate. We provide a funding package to the Irish Red Cross. Some of that funds its affiliation to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is €130,000 each year. The rest of it goes on running the activities of the Irish Red Cross here. We must work on the basis of dealing with a central body that then makes the decision on where money is most needed. I am sure the Deputy knows how the Irish Red Cross functions. How it spends the money we provide for it must be a matter for the Irish Red Cross. If we went into the space of providing funding for specific parts of the country or specific branches on the basis of the assessment of a Minister or Deputy, it would probably be a dangerous space to move into.

See this speech in context