Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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194. To ask the Minister for Defence when he expects to announce the new nominees to the general assembly of the Irish Red Cross; if he will ensure that the nominees are committed to the highest standards of governance in the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16662/15]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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195. To ask the Minister for Defence if his Department has paid its first instalment of this year's grant-in aid to the Irish Red Cross; if he has received a report from the Irish Red Cross on the way this grant was spent; if he is satisfied that the grant was used appropriately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16663/15]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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196. To ask the Minister for Defence if he is satisfied that the Irish Red Cross has fully implemented the recommendations of the Committee of Public Accounts contained in its report on the Irish Red Cross in May 2012; if his Department is monitoring the implementation of these recommendations on an ongoing basis; if his Department has implemented the recommendations relating to the Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16664/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 194 to 196, inclusive, together.

The Irish Red Cross Society is an independent charitable body corporate with full power to manage and administer its own affairs. I am satisfied that it has made substantial improvements to its governance framework in recent years which comply with the standards set by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross, and also the recommendations contained in the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts report on the Irish Red Cross Society published in 2012.

All of the recommendations made were carefully examined and noted by my Department and the reforms introduced by the Society were substantially 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. Furthermore, in accordance with a Programme for Government commitment, my Department is continuing to progress a legal review of the basis, structures and governance of the Irish Red Cross. In this regard, it is proposed that the existing primary legislation which dates back to 1938 is to be repealed in new primary legislation that will re-define the relationship between Government and the Irish Red Cross Society. This will further underpin the independence of the Society. Draft Heads of the Red Cross Bill are currently being finalised.

Arising from the legislative changes made in 2012, the current legislation provides that Government may nominate up to 10% of the membership of the Society’s General Assembly. The three year term of the existing Government nominees will end shortly and accordingly I am planning to bring a Memorandum to Government presently seeking approval for the nomination of up to three people to the General Assembly of the Society.

The payment of my Department’s annual grant to the Society is kept under review on an ongoing basis and currently amounts to €869,000. This consists of a grant of €739,000 towards the salary and administration costs of running its headquarters and the Government’s annual contribution of €130,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The grant is paid in quarterly amounts, with the second instalment being payable from this month pending receipt of a report, which I understand is currently being prepared by the Society, and satisfactory answers to any queries that may arise.