Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 550: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide the background to the decision to appoint a new chairperson to the Irish Red Cross; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37742/10]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 552: To ask the Minister for Defence if the new chairperson of the Irish Red Cross has been asked to examine and review practices within the Irish Red Cross, including the appointment of a permanent Secretary General; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37744/10]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 553: To ask the Minister for Defence if the new chairperson of the Irish Red Cross will be asked to submit a new set of Governance reform proposals given the issues raised by the media in recent months in relation to the running of the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37745/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 550, 552 and 553 together.

In accordance with Article 9 of the Irish Red Cross Order, 1939 the Chairman of the Society must be a member of the Central Council. In nominating persons to Central Council, the Government considers that it is highly desirable that the Society should have on its governing body, people with a wide variety of knowledge and expertise, gained through work experience in both the public and private sector and/or volunteer experience with the Society. The Government, in recommending to the President a person to act as Chairman, had to carefully consider and nominate a person who it deemed would make a positive contribution to the affairs of the Society. Such a role assumes even greater importance now given the imminent changes to the Society's organisation.

Taking the above into account, Mr. David J. O'Callaghan was recently appointed, by the President, as the new Chairman of the Irish Red Cross. Mr. O'Callaghan is a former career civil servant with vast experience of public administration at senior management level. He has experience of matters relating to the Irish Red Cross Society from his previous post as Secretary General of the Department of Defence, which he held from 1995 to 2004. I am confident that Mr. O'Callaghan will help expedite the reform process under way in the Irish Red Cross Society. The post of Secretary General has also been advertised recently with a closing date for applications of 28th October 2010.

The current governance proposals arise from a resolution passed in November 2007, by the Council of Delegates of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) which urged all National Societies, as requested by Action 3 of the Strategy for the Movement, to examine and update their Statutes (i.e. the rules of the National Societies) and related legal texts by 2010, in accordance with the "Guidance for National Society Statutes" and relevant International Conference resolutions. This task is being undertaken by Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world. The current proposals have the support of the IFRC.

The formal report of the Working Group established by the Irish Red Cross Society to examine the issue of governance was received in the Department of Defence in January of this year. In order to implement the recommendations made there will be a requirement for significant amendments to the Irish Red Cross Society Order 1939. Representatives of the Society and Officials from the Department of Defence have met to discuss the specific changes required to the 1939 Order and work is ongoing in that regard.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 551: To ask the Minister for Defence the investigations, if any, ordered by the Government into the operations of the Irish Red Cross and or the Governments interactions with the agency following revelations in the media covering the subject of alleged financial irregularities, including the way bank accounts were operated; and if not, if any such independent investigation will be instigated in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37743/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Red Cross Society is an independent statute based charitable organisation with full power to manage its own affairs. The Minister for Defence has no function in the administration of the Irish Red Cross Society and does not get involved in the day to day running of its affairs. It is my understanding that the issue of the bank account in question is being dealt with by the Society. It is also my understanding that all funds have been properly accounted for. The Society has put in place new and revised procedures so that such circumstances do not recur.