Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on developments within the Irish Red Cross; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21734/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Red Cross Society is an independent charitable body corporate with full power to manage and administer its own affairs.

In recent years the Society has introduced a number of welcome changes to its governance structures which were substantially facilitated by legislative amendments made by this Government in 2012. These changes were the most wide ranging and fundamental to have occurred since the establishment of the Society in 1939. Arising from these changes, the current legislation provides that Government may nominate up to 10% of the membership of the Society's General Assembly. On 20 May last I received Government approval for the nomination of Ms. Mary Flaherty and Mr. Darren Ryan to the Society's General Assembly for a three year term. The maximum number of Government nominees is three and I anticipate that a third appointment will be made shortly.

A further consequence of the legislative changes made in 2012 is that the Society itself now has responsibility for the appointment of its Chairperson. In this regard, I understand that at its General Assembly meeting on 23 May last, the Society elected Mr. Pat Carey to this position. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Pat well in his new role.

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 In this regard, it is proposed that the existing primary legislation which dates back to 1938 is to be repealed in new primary legislation that will re-define the relationship between Government and the Irish Red Cross Society.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 and will be brought to Government for approval shortly.