Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Defence if the Irish Red Cross has fully implemented or will implement all of the recommendations relating to it contained in the Report of the Committee of Public Accounts Committee of May last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42142/12]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Defence if he has fully implemented or will implement all of the recommendations relating to it contained in the Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of May last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42143/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 168 together.

I welcome the fact that arising from the Chapter on Financial Control in the Irish Red Cross Society that was contained in the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General 2010, the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) subsequently dealt in some considerable depth with a wide range of issues relating to weak financial controls in the past and allegations of poor corporate governance. Each of the recommendations made in the Committee’s subsequent Report were carefully examined and noted by my Department. In relation to those that relate directly to the Irish Red Cross, I would direct the Deputy to a Press Statement issued by the Society on 17 May last which, in referring to the Committee’s Report, stated: “With respect to the recommendations that have been made, those that relate to the Irish Red Cross Society have already been implemented.”

The position in relation to the remaining recommendations is that there is a practice already in place whereby payment of the discretionary annual Grant in Aid to the Irish Red Cross is conditional on provision by the Society of a report to my Department, and satisfactory responses to any queries that may arise. In relation to the recommendation concerning the review of the legislation underpinning the Irish Red Cross, in accordance with a commitment given in the Programme for Government my Department has recently commenced a review of all Red Cross legislation. A key requirement of the review will be to ensure that any legislative changes that may be proposed must have the full support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.