On June 2nd 2010 the Irish Red Cross and its endless misgovernance and mismanagement was once again discussed in Dail Eireann. Minister of Defence, Tony Killeen, was questioned on a number of important matters pertaining to the Society. The debate can be read on the Oireachtas Debates website. The exact address is:
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20100602.xml&node=H9-2#H9-2
If this does not work simply log on to www.debates.oireachtas.ie and click on Dail Debates and then click on 2nd June 2010 and scroll down to Irish Red Cross.
What is depressing for all staff and members committed to the Irish Red Cross is that the situation at the Society continues to deteriorate. The organisation is now paralysed in a state of chaos with morale and energy at an all time low. While the situation worsened dramatically during the latter half of 2009 the first half of 2010has seen the organisation reach a new low with the return of rampant staff bullying and harassment at head office and the targeting of certain members around the country.
Minister Killeen stated in the Dail that on 18th May 2010 he met the Vice Chairman and Acting Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross. This Blog presumes that by now the Minister is well briefed on the real situation at the Society. We therefore assume he understands that the Vice Chairman is the very person that kept an undeclared bank account in Tipperary with over €150,000 in it for four years and only returned the money to head office when his undeclared account was discovered in an internal audit. This money was donated by the Irish public for the Tsunami and for four years it sat in a secret bank account in Tipperary town. This is without doubt at a minimum a resigning offence but the matter was buried and only became public when the Village Magazine publicised it in late 2009. The Minister will also be aware that the current Acting Secretary General was appointed in a manner shrouded in secrecy and one devoid of any transparency. It is understood he is to be replaced in late 2010 as per previous press releases in 2009 following the resignation of the organisation's then Chairman and Secretary General. Minister Killeen is an honest and experienced politician so this Blog can only hope that he takes the views of these two men with a pinch of salt. Both men have the most to lose from even the slightest reform of the Irish Red Cross. One member this Blog spoke with said it well 'I just cringe with shame and embarrassment when I think these two individuals represented the Irish Red Cross in meetings with a Minister in the country's national parliament'
This Blog has stated on a number of occasions that the current governance proposals put forward are designed to ensure the ruling elite retain power indefinitely. The Minister must not accept them. The proposals need radical reform otherwise the problems that beset the Irish Red Cross will continue for years to come.
On a separate matter:
The Blog authors noted with all too familiarity the threatening tone of the comment posted after the previous article. It is behaviour such as this that must be resisted and removed from the Irish Red Cross once and for all. Let there be no illusions though that those determined to reform the organisation will always be targeted, bullied, harassed and threatened. This is the way it has always been. This Blog can state categorically however that the reformists will not be intimidated, they are not afraid and they will never give up.
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