Written answers

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Department of Defence

Irish Red Cross Governance

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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397. To ask the Minister for Defence to set out his views on suspending the grant aid paid to the Irish Red Cross in view of renewed governance concerns in the organisation; if the grant will be suspended; and if he is satisfied with the internal operations of the organisation, and its commitment to reforming its own governance procedures. [11091/15]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Whilst the Irish Red Cross Society is an independent charitable body corporate with full power to manage and administer its own affairs, I am aware that it has made substantial improvements to its governance framework in recent years which meet the standards set by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The reforms introduced were facilitated by the legislative amendments made by this Government in 2012 which represented the most wide ranging and fundamental set of changes to have occurred since the establishment of the Society in 1939.

However, the independence of the Society notwithstanding, I am aware that despite this clear progress there is nevertheless some concern that other aspects of governance have not moved as quickly and that this is an issue of ongoing debate within the Society. I am also aware that the Society is now entering a time of change in terms of its Board, Officers and Management and it is important that the incoming administration finds the right balance between the pace of reform and the obligation to manage the Society in a way that meets the expectations of all its stakeholders.

The payment of my Department's annual grant to the Society is kept under review on an ongoing basis. The annual grant is paid quarterly, and the next instalment for 2015 is due to be paid from 1 April next. Before this instalment is paid my Department will require a report from the Society confirming, inter alia, that the first instalment of the grant has been used appropriately and providing full details of how it was used. Only if my Department is satisfied that the grant has been used appropriately will the instalment due from 1 April next be paid. I will continue to keep this matter under review.

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