Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go ndéanfadh muid plé ar an gconspóid mhór atá ann maidir leis na híocaíochtaí i gcúrsaí carthanachta. Tá an chonspóid seo ag cur an-imní ar dhaoine ar fud an phobail. Tá sé tábhachtach go dtiocfadh an teachtaireacht amach gur chóir do dhaoine fanacht ag tacú leis na carthanachtaí.

The debate around top-up payments for people working in organisations funded by charitable means is of huge concern to the public. According to some reports, people have lost confidence and it is important we play a role in restoring confidence in the charitable sector. It is important people get the message that it is important to support charities, in particular at this time of year.

We need a debate on this area but it is quite hypocritical of the Government and certain Ministers to criticise paying top-ups when they have endorsed them in the running of Government. In late 2011, the Department of Health, under the Minister, Deputy Reilly, sought and secured approval from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, under the Minister, Deputy Howlin, to pay a salary of up to €195,000 to an acting chief executive in a Dublin hospital who was moving to take up the running of another group of hospitals operating under the HSE. It is quite hypocritical to lambaste the chief executives of these organisations.

We need a debate on the payment of top-ups and to review those payments made under the auspices of this Government and those in the charitable sector, so that people's confidence can be restored. It something we have may have taken for granted that there was a culture of this type of nudge nudge, wink wink payment going on under previous Administrations. We were told there would be change with this Administration but plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, as the French would say. It seems to be going on and it is not acceptable. We certainly need to get to the root of it.