Yesterday I was informed by the Irish Red Cross that I am to be dismissed from my job with immediate effect.
My determination to see significant change and reform at the Irish Red Cross remains undiminished. I will continue to pursue this with vigour, resolve and fortitude.
The 6,000 volunteers of the Irish Red Cross, the staff at home and abroad and most of all the communities and people we seek to serve deserve better and better they must have. To achieve this everyone will need to play their part, whether big or small. The status quo must not and cannot remain.
My dismissal was raised on the floor of Dail Eireann yesterday (9th November 2010) by Deputy Brendan Howlin of the Labour Party during a debate on whistle blowing legislation. The debate was covered on RTE national television on Oireachtas Report on the 9th November 2010. Deputy Howlin’s comments on the Irish Red Cross can be seen on the RTE link below. The discussion occurs between 20 minutes and 24 minutes.
http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1084477
The Irish Red Cross is at a critical crossroads. The choice is between the past or an open, transparent, accountable, modern, vibrant, energetic and truly democratic organisation. I am confident the vast majority of us wish for the latter. And that provides my motivation to continue.
Noel Wardick
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Reeling back the years: Irish Red Cross problems extend back decades
During the last eleven months Irish media and this Blog have referred to the decade’s long nature of Irish Red Cross problems and dysfunction. The current problems and media revelations have all existed for many years and Irish media and Irish politicians have been writing about them and asking parliamentary questions about them since the mid 1980’s. The problems intensified and worsened during the 90’s and during the first decade of the 21st century. The common denominator during all these years is the same handful of people who control and dominate the Irish Red Cross.
The Blog therefore thought it important to give readers a flavour of the historical nature of these problems. Below can be found two separate links to a series of parliamentary questions on the Irish Red Cross from 1998 and 1991 respectively. In addition to these links the Blog has also transcribed the full content from an Irish Times article dated February 1998 which reports on serious problems within the Society at that time. All of the material below is a very small representative sample from the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) and media archives on the Irish Red Cross.
The first link below relates to parliamentary questions asked by Deputy Pat Rabbitte, Labour Party, on 15th December 1998. Deputy Rabbitte asks a number of questions including the following:
· Asked the Minister if his attention has been drawn to reports of serious industrial relations problems within the Irish Red Cross; the plans, if any, he has to take any action to try to secure a settlement of these problems.
· Asked the Minister for Defence if there is a staff representative on the Executive Committee of the Irish Red Cross; if not, the plans, if any he has to provide for a staff representative.
· Asked the Minister for Defence if any of the government’s grant-in-aid to the Irish Red Cross has been used in regard to legal costs incurred by the Society and its acting general secretary in a case taken by the former general secretary
http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0498/D.0498.199812150119.html
The second link below covers a series of parliamentary questions asked by Deputy Jim O’Keefe, Fine Gael, about the Irish Red Cross on the 12th June 1991 and the ensuing discussion that takes place between him, the Deputy Cheann Comhairle (Deputy Chairman of the Parliament) and the then Minister for Defence, Mr. Brendan Daly. The lengthy discussion that takes place concerns an unseemly, bitter and embarrassing row between members of the Irish Red Cross Executive Committee and the Irish Red Cross Chairman at the time, Derry O’Donovan. At one stage during the debate Deputy O’Keefe states “the Government are guilty of gross negligence and dereliction of duty in not facing up to the issue, in not proposing the name of the new chairman for appointment by the President”.
http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/plweb-cgi/fastweb?state_id=1289225166&view=oho-view&numhitsfound=1&query=Irish%20Red%20Cross&query_rule=%28%28$query1%29%3C%3DDATE%3C%3D%28$query2%29%29%20AND%20%28%28$query4%29%29%3ASPEAKER%20AND%20%28%28$query5%29%29%3Aheading%20AND%20%28%28$query6%29%29%3ACATEGORY%20AND%20%28%28$query3%29%29%3Ahouse%20AND%20%28%28$query7%29%29%3Avolume%20AND%20%28%28$query8%29%29%3Acolnumber%20AND%20%28%28$query%29%29&query1=19910601&query2=19910630&query5=Irish%20Red%20Cross&docid=271551&docdb=Debates&dbname=Debates&sorting=none&operator=and&TemplateName=predoc.tmpl&setCookie=1
The following newspaper article is taken from the Irish Times, February 1998:
Former FG minister takes over at Irish Red Cross as secretary-general resigns
By PAUL CULLEN
The former Fine Gael minister for finance, Mr. Richie Ryan, has taken over the running of the Irish Red Cross Society following the departure of its secretary general, Mr. Martin Good.
Mr. Good’s resignation two weeks ago followed a series of internal disagreements and industrial relations problems within the organisation. It is believed he left after a substantial severance settlement was agreed with the society.
Mr. Ryan was appointed last May as the fourth chairman of the Irish Red Cross in seven years, shortly before the rainbow coalition government left office.
A number of other senior staff, including the public relations officer, youth officer and fund-raising manager, have left the society recently.
Tension rose in recent months between Mr. Good and members of the 12-member Executive Committee, which takes an active interest in the running of the society.
Mr. Good was not chosen to represent the organisation at a major conference organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross in Seville last November, although three members of the executive committee attended.
Mr. Good was appointed secretary general in September 1991 for three years, and his contract was later made permanent. Speaking from Geneva last night, he confirmed he had resigned on February 5th. He declined to comment further.
Industrial relations difficulties flared up last autumn after management proposed a restructuring plan. After one member of staff was appointed to a newly created senior post colleagues complained to their union, SIPTU, that no interviews were conducted.
SIPTU took the matter to the Labour Court, which appointed an intermediary to mediate between the two sides. According to Mr. Mike Jennings of SIPTU, the industrial relations problems have been ongoing for some time.
The charity incurred legal costs of more than £100,000 in an unsuccessful attempt to confirm its expulsion of one central council member, Mr. Jim Walsh, for talking to the Irish Times in 1993. The Supreme Court ruled that the Irish Red Cross did not have the power to expel Mr. Walsh retrospectively. He had been a member for 35 years. Mr. Ryan said yesterday the society had agreed not to comment on Mr. Good’s departure.
The Red Cross received £535,000 in Government grants last year, of which £100,000 went to pay the annual subscription to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva. Salaries amounted to £370,000. The overall turnover was £1.9 million last year.
According to sources, the ICRC is “displeased” at the number of party political nominees involved in the Irish organisation.
Mr. Ryan said he had “heard this view expressed” in Geneva. However, he pointed out that the number of political nominees on the central council had fallen from 22 to 16, out of 40 members.
The Irish Red Cross Society was set up by an Act of Oireachtas in 1939. The President of Ireland is by law its president.
Aside from Government funds, it raises money through general subscriptions and special appeals. In recent years, however, appeals have met a varied response. An appeal for the volcano victims in Monserrat raised only £160 last year, but tens of thousands of pounds were raised for the victims of land-mines.
ENDS.
History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce-Karl Marx
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State-Unknown
The Blog therefore thought it important to give readers a flavour of the historical nature of these problems. Below can be found two separate links to a series of parliamentary questions on the Irish Red Cross from 1998 and 1991 respectively. In addition to these links the Blog has also transcribed the full content from an Irish Times article dated February 1998 which reports on serious problems within the Society at that time. All of the material below is a very small representative sample from the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) and media archives on the Irish Red Cross.
The first link below relates to parliamentary questions asked by Deputy Pat Rabbitte, Labour Party, on 15th December 1998. Deputy Rabbitte asks a number of questions including the following:
· Asked the Minister if his attention has been drawn to reports of serious industrial relations problems within the Irish Red Cross; the plans, if any, he has to take any action to try to secure a settlement of these problems.
· Asked the Minister for Defence if there is a staff representative on the Executive Committee of the Irish Red Cross; if not, the plans, if any he has to provide for a staff representative.
· Asked the Minister for Defence if any of the government’s grant-in-aid to the Irish Red Cross has been used in regard to legal costs incurred by the Society and its acting general secretary in a case taken by the former general secretary
http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0498/D.0498.199812150119.html
The second link below covers a series of parliamentary questions asked by Deputy Jim O’Keefe, Fine Gael, about the Irish Red Cross on the 12th June 1991 and the ensuing discussion that takes place between him, the Deputy Cheann Comhairle (Deputy Chairman of the Parliament) and the then Minister for Defence, Mr. Brendan Daly. The lengthy discussion that takes place concerns an unseemly, bitter and embarrassing row between members of the Irish Red Cross Executive Committee and the Irish Red Cross Chairman at the time, Derry O’Donovan. At one stage during the debate Deputy O’Keefe states “the Government are guilty of gross negligence and dereliction of duty in not facing up to the issue, in not proposing the name of the new chairman for appointment by the President”.
http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/plweb-cgi/fastweb?state_id=1289225166&view=oho-view&numhitsfound=1&query=Irish%20Red%20Cross&query_rule=%28%28$query1%29%3C%3DDATE%3C%3D%28$query2%29%29%20AND%20%28%28$query4%29%29%3ASPEAKER%20AND%20%28%28$query5%29%29%3Aheading%20AND%20%28%28$query6%29%29%3ACATEGORY%20AND%20%28%28$query3%29%29%3Ahouse%20AND%20%28%28$query7%29%29%3Avolume%20AND%20%28%28$query8%29%29%3Acolnumber%20AND%20%28%28$query%29%29&query1=19910601&query2=19910630&query5=Irish%20Red%20Cross&docid=271551&docdb=Debates&dbname=Debates&sorting=none&operator=and&TemplateName=predoc.tmpl&setCookie=1
The following newspaper article is taken from the Irish Times, February 1998:
Former FG minister takes over at Irish Red Cross as secretary-general resigns
By PAUL CULLEN
The former Fine Gael minister for finance, Mr. Richie Ryan, has taken over the running of the Irish Red Cross Society following the departure of its secretary general, Mr. Martin Good.
Mr. Good’s resignation two weeks ago followed a series of internal disagreements and industrial relations problems within the organisation. It is believed he left after a substantial severance settlement was agreed with the society.
Mr. Ryan was appointed last May as the fourth chairman of the Irish Red Cross in seven years, shortly before the rainbow coalition government left office.
A number of other senior staff, including the public relations officer, youth officer and fund-raising manager, have left the society recently.
Tension rose in recent months between Mr. Good and members of the 12-member Executive Committee, which takes an active interest in the running of the society.
Mr. Good was not chosen to represent the organisation at a major conference organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross in Seville last November, although three members of the executive committee attended.
Mr. Good was appointed secretary general in September 1991 for three years, and his contract was later made permanent. Speaking from Geneva last night, he confirmed he had resigned on February 5th. He declined to comment further.
Industrial relations difficulties flared up last autumn after management proposed a restructuring plan. After one member of staff was appointed to a newly created senior post colleagues complained to their union, SIPTU, that no interviews were conducted.
SIPTU took the matter to the Labour Court, which appointed an intermediary to mediate between the two sides. According to Mr. Mike Jennings of SIPTU, the industrial relations problems have been ongoing for some time.
The charity incurred legal costs of more than £100,000 in an unsuccessful attempt to confirm its expulsion of one central council member, Mr. Jim Walsh, for talking to the Irish Times in 1993. The Supreme Court ruled that the Irish Red Cross did not have the power to expel Mr. Walsh retrospectively. He had been a member for 35 years. Mr. Ryan said yesterday the society had agreed not to comment on Mr. Good’s departure.
The Red Cross received £535,000 in Government grants last year, of which £100,000 went to pay the annual subscription to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva. Salaries amounted to £370,000. The overall turnover was £1.9 million last year.
According to sources, the ICRC is “displeased” at the number of party political nominees involved in the Irish organisation.
Mr. Ryan said he had “heard this view expressed” in Geneva. However, he pointed out that the number of political nominees on the central council had fallen from 22 to 16, out of 40 members.
The Irish Red Cross Society was set up by an Act of Oireachtas in 1939. The President of Ireland is by law its president.
Aside from Government funds, it raises money through general subscriptions and special appeals. In recent years, however, appeals have met a varied response. An appeal for the volcano victims in Monserrat raised only £160 last year, but tens of thousands of pounds were raised for the victims of land-mines.
ENDS.
History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce-Karl Marx
If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State-Unknown
Monday, November 1, 2010
Whistleblowers, including those in the Irish Red Cross, should be protected-Sunday Independent
On 31st October 2010 the Sunday Independent, Ireland’s largest selling Sunday newspaper, published an article on Whistleblowing and specifically discussed the situation prevailing at the Irish Red Cross. The full article is posted below. In addition to the Sunday Independent article the Irish Red Cross and the suspension of Noel Wardick, its Head of International Department, was discussed on RTE’s (national broadcaster) Marian Finucane radio program (31st October 2010). The Marian Finucane radio program has one of Ireland’s highest weekend listenership. Minister of Defence, Tony Killeen, was a panel guest on the show. The Minister reiterated his view, disputed by this Blog, that he cannot intervene in matters pertaining to the Irish Red Cross. The discussion can be heard by clicking the link below. The Irish Red Cross conversation can be found by moving the ‘play dial’ to approximately 1 hr and 5 mins of the show’s duration.
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/player_av.html?0,null,200,http://dynamic.rte.ie/quickaxs/209-r1-marianfinucane.smil
Full Sunday Independent article:
Why do we hang whistleblowers out to dry?
Doing the right thing in this country just seems to gets you nowhere, writes Daniel McConnell
Ireland has a woefully poor record of protecting and rewarding whistleblowers, much to our cost.
Many of the great scandals in recent Irish history -- like the Dirt (Deposit Interest Retention Tax) inquiry in AIB (one of Ireland’s biggest banks) -- only came to light as a result of the actions of brave people, willing to risk their livelihoods and financial security to bring corruption, malpractice or incompetence to light.
We journalists know, appreciate and cherish the courage and gallantry of whistleblowers.
These are people who risk it all to tell the truth, to stand up to their bosses, to be honest brokers in a country where such honesty is punished, not rewarded, time and time again.
Legislation has been long promised on protecting those who raise their heads and speak out, but as of yet, there is no sign of it.
"The Government has refused to give the necessary protection to whistleblowers in the banking sector. The proposed legislation would not have protected Ireland's two noblest whistleblowers, Eugene McErlean and Tony Spollen, who both blew the whistle on AIB," said my colleague Senator Shane Ross, who has worked tirelessly to highlight their efforts.
Their efforts were crucial in revealing one of the great swindles of all time by Irish banks.
But now we have the latest case involving the troubled Irish Red Cross. In recent months, the once venerable charity has been dogged by a series of controversies and scandals.
Its head of international development, Noel Wardick, was suspended from his position after he revealed himself as the author of a blog which highlighted serious instances of poor governance and financial irregularities at the charity.
In the middle of this extraordinary affair is €162,000 of donations which lay idle in a Tipperary bank account for three years.
An inquiry by independent accountants was launched by the IRC, only to be quickly abandoned on the basis of cost and replaced with an internal probe which has been criticised in the Dail (Irish Parliament) as being simply not credible.
A truly transparent and independent inquiry into the allegations and the mysterious case of the Tipperary bank account is the only way the IRC can ensure that its excellent reputation can be restored.
For bringing all this to light and asking that things change, Mr Wardick is now facing the sack on the grounds of gross misconduct, confirmation of which is due any day now.
It's a bloody disgrace.
Mr Wardick, like Mr Spollen and Mr McErlean, should be commended for his dedication to upholding decent standards in the face of grubby cronyism. He should be protected by law and he should be recognised as one of the good guys. He told the truth, he bravely spoke out against incompetence and corruption.
But what has happened, is that large amounts of money are being used to wage war against Mr Wardick. To discredit him. Rather than listen to what he is saying or fix it, those in charge of the IRC waste thousands of euros in pursuing him.
And all the while, Defence Minister Tony Killeen refuses to intervene, despite almost €1m of taxpayers' money being handed over every year and the fact that he appoints the chairman.
If Mr Wardick is sacked, it will represent the gravest of injustices and sends a powerful message that incompetence, negligence and cronyism are acceptable and that doing the right thing will get you nowhere.
It has been eight years since legislation was first promised, but as of yet to no avail.
Fine Gael's (Ireland’s main Opposition party) Brian Hayes said that Mr Wardick deserves to be protected not sacked. "The case of Noel Wardick and the Irish Red Cross highlights the urgent need to protect whistleblowers. It's now over eight years since the Government first promised legislation in this area."
He added: "The fact the Fianna Fail (Government party) has not produced legislation and have voted down a Private Member's Bill from the opposition clearly demonstrates that the Government doesn't want people to speak out and doesn't want to protect those public servants who want to shine a light on malpractice and waste."
And the legislation that has been promised stops well short of offering any real protection to those who speak out.
"Whistleblowing laws that are introduced which fail to cover the most important cases, mean the Minister for Justice is simply indulging in publicity stunts," Mr Ross said.
It's time Ireland came out of the dark ages -- It's time we not only protect whistleblowers, but cherish them.
Mr Wardick, like Mr Spollen and Mr McErlean before him, has genuinely done this State some service, and for that they deserve our support and our thanks.
Ends
The link to the above article is:
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/why-do-we-hang-whistleblowers-out-to-dry-2401289.html
Commentary on www.boards.ie, one of Ireland’s leading web discussion forums, continues apace on the Irish Red Cross. The link to the discussion, with over 125 comments, is below:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056016355&highlight=Irish+Cross
“I am informed that the strategic review of the Irish Red Cross will encompass the views and opinions of all organs of the Society to ensure the strengthening and development of the Society. I understand this review will be inclusive, involving volunteers and all staff members. The Red Cross is being assisted by a consultant in these matters. It is intended that the review will be completed by the middle of 2000. It may transpire that legislative changes may be required at that time and my Department will respond as required in this regard” -Minister of Defence, Michael Smith, February 2000
Nearly eleven years later, with no governance reform following the 2000 Strategic Review process and the 2005 Tom Finlay report into Governance at Irish Red Cross abandoned....
“The formal report of the Working Group established by the Irish Red Cross Society to examine the issue of governance was received in the Department of Defence in January of this year. In order to implement the recommendations made there will be a requirement for significant amendments to the Irish Red Cross Society Order 1939. Representatives of the Society and officials from the Department of Defence have had a number of meetings to discuss specific changes required to the 1939 Order and work is ongoing in that regard..” –Minister of Defence, Tony Killeen, October 2010
Should we be hopeful or will history repeat itself as it has done for twenty years, a period in which no reform has materialised???
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/player_av.html?0,null,200,http://dynamic.rte.ie/quickaxs/209-r1-marianfinucane.smil
Full Sunday Independent article:
Why do we hang whistleblowers out to dry?
Doing the right thing in this country just seems to gets you nowhere, writes Daniel McConnell
Ireland has a woefully poor record of protecting and rewarding whistleblowers, much to our cost.
Many of the great scandals in recent Irish history -- like the Dirt (Deposit Interest Retention Tax) inquiry in AIB (one of Ireland’s biggest banks) -- only came to light as a result of the actions of brave people, willing to risk their livelihoods and financial security to bring corruption, malpractice or incompetence to light.
We journalists know, appreciate and cherish the courage and gallantry of whistleblowers.
These are people who risk it all to tell the truth, to stand up to their bosses, to be honest brokers in a country where such honesty is punished, not rewarded, time and time again.
Legislation has been long promised on protecting those who raise their heads and speak out, but as of yet, there is no sign of it.
"The Government has refused to give the necessary protection to whistleblowers in the banking sector. The proposed legislation would not have protected Ireland's two noblest whistleblowers, Eugene McErlean and Tony Spollen, who both blew the whistle on AIB," said my colleague Senator Shane Ross, who has worked tirelessly to highlight their efforts.
Their efforts were crucial in revealing one of the great swindles of all time by Irish banks.
But now we have the latest case involving the troubled Irish Red Cross. In recent months, the once venerable charity has been dogged by a series of controversies and scandals.
Its head of international development, Noel Wardick, was suspended from his position after he revealed himself as the author of a blog which highlighted serious instances of poor governance and financial irregularities at the charity.
In the middle of this extraordinary affair is €162,000 of donations which lay idle in a Tipperary bank account for three years.
An inquiry by independent accountants was launched by the IRC, only to be quickly abandoned on the basis of cost and replaced with an internal probe which has been criticised in the Dail (Irish Parliament) as being simply not credible.
A truly transparent and independent inquiry into the allegations and the mysterious case of the Tipperary bank account is the only way the IRC can ensure that its excellent reputation can be restored.
For bringing all this to light and asking that things change, Mr Wardick is now facing the sack on the grounds of gross misconduct, confirmation of which is due any day now.
It's a bloody disgrace.
Mr Wardick, like Mr Spollen and Mr McErlean, should be commended for his dedication to upholding decent standards in the face of grubby cronyism. He should be protected by law and he should be recognised as one of the good guys. He told the truth, he bravely spoke out against incompetence and corruption.
But what has happened, is that large amounts of money are being used to wage war against Mr Wardick. To discredit him. Rather than listen to what he is saying or fix it, those in charge of the IRC waste thousands of euros in pursuing him.
And all the while, Defence Minister Tony Killeen refuses to intervene, despite almost €1m of taxpayers' money being handed over every year and the fact that he appoints the chairman.
If Mr Wardick is sacked, it will represent the gravest of injustices and sends a powerful message that incompetence, negligence and cronyism are acceptable and that doing the right thing will get you nowhere.
It has been eight years since legislation was first promised, but as of yet to no avail.
Fine Gael's (Ireland’s main Opposition party) Brian Hayes said that Mr Wardick deserves to be protected not sacked. "The case of Noel Wardick and the Irish Red Cross highlights the urgent need to protect whistleblowers. It's now over eight years since the Government first promised legislation in this area."
He added: "The fact the Fianna Fail (Government party) has not produced legislation and have voted down a Private Member's Bill from the opposition clearly demonstrates that the Government doesn't want people to speak out and doesn't want to protect those public servants who want to shine a light on malpractice and waste."
And the legislation that has been promised stops well short of offering any real protection to those who speak out.
"Whistleblowing laws that are introduced which fail to cover the most important cases, mean the Minister for Justice is simply indulging in publicity stunts," Mr Ross said.
It's time Ireland came out of the dark ages -- It's time we not only protect whistleblowers, but cherish them.
Mr Wardick, like Mr Spollen and Mr McErlean before him, has genuinely done this State some service, and for that they deserve our support and our thanks.
Ends
The link to the above article is:
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/why-do-we-hang-whistleblowers-out-to-dry-2401289.html
Commentary on www.boards.ie, one of Ireland’s leading web discussion forums, continues apace on the Irish Red Cross. The link to the discussion, with over 125 comments, is below:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056016355&highlight=Irish+Cross
“I am informed that the strategic review of the Irish Red Cross will encompass the views and opinions of all organs of the Society to ensure the strengthening and development of the Society. I understand this review will be inclusive, involving volunteers and all staff members. The Red Cross is being assisted by a consultant in these matters. It is intended that the review will be completed by the middle of 2000. It may transpire that legislative changes may be required at that time and my Department will respond as required in this regard” -Minister of Defence, Michael Smith, February 2000
Nearly eleven years later, with no governance reform following the 2000 Strategic Review process and the 2005 Tom Finlay report into Governance at Irish Red Cross abandoned....
“The formal report of the Working Group established by the Irish Red Cross Society to examine the issue of governance was received in the Department of Defence in January of this year. In order to implement the recommendations made there will be a requirement for significant amendments to the Irish Red Cross Society Order 1939. Representatives of the Society and officials from the Department of Defence have had a number of meetings to discuss specific changes required to the 1939 Order and work is ongoing in that regard..” –Minister of Defence, Tony Killeen, October 2010
Should we be hopeful or will history repeat itself as it has done for twenty years, a period in which no reform has materialised???
Saturday, October 30, 2010
30th October 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant
The 30th October 2010 is a very important day for the Red Cross movement around the world. 100 years ago to the day the founder of this great humanitarian organisation, Henry Dunant, died, following a life of the highest of ups and the lowest of downs. From the horrors of the Battle of Solferino in 1859, which Dunant witnessed firsthand, an idea was formed. 100 years later that idea has grown into the largest humanitarian organisation in the world with 97 million volunteers and 186 national Red Cross Red Crescent Societies.
In a much changed world the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross movement, Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality remain as important, if not more important, as in any time in world history.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Henry Dunant’s death it is timely to remind ourselves what the Red Cross Movement stands for and the sacrifices made by Dunant and thousands of Red Cross Movement volunteers and staff over the last hundred years who made them in order to keep the idea alive and to hold true to the vision of their founder. This Blog hopes the Irish Red Cross takes time over the anniversary weekend and the coming days to reflect on the situation it currently finds itself in and to determine once and for all to address the deep rooted problems it faces. Equally importantly this Blog looks forward to hearing about Irish Red Cross plans to mark the 100th anniversary.
“Red Cross societies, therefore, should include, in each country, as members of their governing board, men enjoying the most honourable reputation and the highest esteem."-Henry Duant, A memory of Solferino
The story of an idea (Henry Dunant and the founding of the Red Cross) can be found in animated form on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9bsmnuJU-o
This Blog also came across a very interesting article that readers will hopefully enjoy:
A Swiss Town Celebrates the Red Cross Founder It Never Much Liked
By Andrew Marshall, Time in partnership with CNN / Heiden, Switzerland
If you don't count the "whey diet" — a grim 19th-century health regime that involved drinking nothing but a pungent, watery by-product of goat's milk — then the picturesque Swiss town of Heiden has just one historical claim to fame. Fortunately, it's a big one.
The year is 1887. Nestling in the Alpine foothills, Heiden is well known among high-society Europeans for its health spas, crisp air and bracing view over Lake Constance. A doctor called Hermann Altherr visits a patient at a local guesthouse. It is an old man, exhausted and half-paralyzed with eczema, and clearly of limited means. Like an explorer chancing upon a long-lost jungle ruin, Altherr is startled to discover that his patient is Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross movement. The doctor — and much of the rest of the world — had assumed him dead.
Dunant spent the last quarter of an extraordinary life in Heiden, most of it in a single room in the town's old hospital. He died there on October 30, 1910. Today, a museum in the same building presides over a series of events to mark the centenary of his death. Heiden rescued Dunant from obscurity — it was here that a telegram arrived in 1901, announcing that he had won the first-ever Nobel Peace Prize — then fell into obscurity itself. Now the town hopes its most celebrated resident will put it back on the map.
In its heyday, Heiden was regarded as a lower-altitude alternative to swankier Swiss resorts such as Davos and St. Moritz. But the Great Depression killed off its spa industry, and today it must compete for tourists with countless other scenic and well-preserved Swiss towns. Heiden (pop. about 4,000) is part of Appenzellerland, a bucolic corner of eastern Switzerland famous for its dairy farms. The region is often overlooked by visitors on their way to the dramatic snow-capped peaks in the distance. This is a shame, since few places feel more authentically Swiss. The official website for Appenzellerland yodels and lows.
This year Heiden is making a noise about its most eminent resident, with exhibitions, concerts and an international youth camp. The Japanese city of Nagasaki has donated a replica of its Peace Bell, while American sprint legend Carl Lewis will lead hundreds of children in a "world harmony run" through the village. "It's not just about remembering Dunant," says Monika Gessler, Project Coordinator for the Dunant Year 2010 Association. "It's about giving young people an understanding of his values: solidarity, humanity and moral courage."
Dunant was born in 1828 in Geneva, about 200 miles away, to staunchly Calvinist parents who encouraged his early passion for social work among orphans, paupers and prisoners. He was a mediocre student, however, who dropped out of college to become an even worse businessman. In 1859, Dunant traveled to Solferino, in northern Italy, where he evidently believed that Napoleon III might pause from fighting Imperial Austria to intercede in his troubled business affairs in French-occupied Algeria. Then 31 years old, Dunant arrived in time to witness the aftermath of a nine-hour battle which had littered the rolling Italian countryside with tens of thousands of dead and wounded.
Medical care was meager — the French army had more veterinarians than doctors. So amid what he later described as "chaotic disorder, despair unspeakable, and misery of every kind," Dunant mobilized local volunteers — mostly women and girls — to care for the injured, whatever their nationality. Four years later, he and four other Genevans set up the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, later to become the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Today, the movement has 97 million volunteers, supporters and staff in 186 countries.
Its distinctive emblem — an inverse of the Swiss flag — now decorates the windows of many Heiden businesses, as the town gears up to mark Dunant's death. The celebration is laced with irony, explains museum guide and local historian Corina Schmid-Maddalena. "Dunant couldn't stand Heiden people," she says cheerfully, "and they thought he was arrogant. He refused to speak German, while most locals couldn't speak a word of French." Reclusive and prone to bouts of depression and paranoia, Dunant was convinced that somebody was poisoning his food and opening his mail. During all his years in Heiden he made only a handful of friends.
Even today, you sense that not every Haedler — as Heiden people are called in one of Appenzell's thick dialects — cherishes Dunant's memory. Many locals have never visited the museum, admits Schmid-Maddalena. Perhaps they know that Dunant ended up here reluctantly, after a shocking reversal of fortune.
A decade that for Dunant began with triumph — in 1864, a year after the creation of the Red Cross, 12 governments adopted the first Geneva Convention — ended in disaster. His neglected business affairs collapsed, pauperizing him and wiping out investments by many friends and relatives. Bankrupt, he resigned from the International Committee in 1867 and left Geneva in shame, never to return. "Everything broke down around me, everything went dark," he wrote. He lived in a handful of countries over the next two decades, a fugitive from his creditors. Once, at a speech in the British city of Plymouth, he fainted, apparently due to hunger.
Settling in Heiden, ill-health brought him to Dr. Altherr's attention. But it was a 1895 article by a Swiss journalist which reintroduced Dunant to the world. "Without you, the Red Cross, the supreme humanitarian achievement of the nineteenth century would probably have never been undertaken," read the citation for his Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with the French pacifist Frédéric Passy. Dunant had his prize money administered from Norway, so that his creditors couldn't get it.
"Would you like to try some whey?" asks Schmid-Maddalena, rummaging through a refrigerator during a tour of the museum. (Fortunately, she serves a drinkable modern variety, fortified with orange juice.) The tour includes a reconstruction of Dunant's room with his original armchair, its upholstery worn thin during his years of seclusion. Nearby hangs an equally ragged artifact from another era: a Red Cross flag used as a blanket by an ICRC delegate kidnapped in Angola in 1982.
The flag is a reminder of how much war has changed, and how fragile Dunant's cherished concept of neutrality sometimes seems. Almost everyone who perished at Solferino was a soldier, but civilians — among them humanitarians — do most of the dying in modern conflict. In 2008, more aid workers were killed than armed United Nations peacekeeping troops. Kidnappings continue: in March ICRC worker Gauthier Lefevre was freed after being held hostage in Darfur for 147 days.
"Let us raise our spirits and our souls above the narrow horizon of our small countries to see only humanity," wrote Dunant. His second-floor room — now the super-tidy office of a medical technician — still has its fine view of Heiden's clock tower, a landmark Dunant grew to hate as its bell fastidiously tolled away his final hours in quarter-hour segments. "How tiresome it is to die so slowly," he told Dr. Altherr. Dunant lived to the age of 82. He spurned both Heiden and his hometown of Geneva as a final resting place, requesting to be buried in Zurich "with no ceremony of any kind."
His death didn't sever Heiden's connection with the Red Cross. Consider this curious postscript. The year is 1944. With war in Europe raging to a close, a Heiden woman called Claire Kellenberger gives birth in the same hospital building in which Dunant drew his last breath. It is a boy. She calls him Jakob. Today, he is president of the ICRC.
In a much changed world the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross movement, Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity and Universality remain as important, if not more important, as in any time in world history.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Henry Dunant’s death it is timely to remind ourselves what the Red Cross Movement stands for and the sacrifices made by Dunant and thousands of Red Cross Movement volunteers and staff over the last hundred years who made them in order to keep the idea alive and to hold true to the vision of their founder. This Blog hopes the Irish Red Cross takes time over the anniversary weekend and the coming days to reflect on the situation it currently finds itself in and to determine once and for all to address the deep rooted problems it faces. Equally importantly this Blog looks forward to hearing about Irish Red Cross plans to mark the 100th anniversary.
“Red Cross societies, therefore, should include, in each country, as members of their governing board, men enjoying the most honourable reputation and the highest esteem."-Henry Duant, A memory of Solferino
The story of an idea (Henry Dunant and the founding of the Red Cross) can be found in animated form on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9bsmnuJU-o
This Blog also came across a very interesting article that readers will hopefully enjoy:
A Swiss Town Celebrates the Red Cross Founder It Never Much Liked
By Andrew Marshall, Time in partnership with CNN / Heiden, Switzerland
If you don't count the "whey diet" — a grim 19th-century health regime that involved drinking nothing but a pungent, watery by-product of goat's milk — then the picturesque Swiss town of Heiden has just one historical claim to fame. Fortunately, it's a big one.
The year is 1887. Nestling in the Alpine foothills, Heiden is well known among high-society Europeans for its health spas, crisp air and bracing view over Lake Constance. A doctor called Hermann Altherr visits a patient at a local guesthouse. It is an old man, exhausted and half-paralyzed with eczema, and clearly of limited means. Like an explorer chancing upon a long-lost jungle ruin, Altherr is startled to discover that his patient is Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross movement. The doctor — and much of the rest of the world — had assumed him dead.
Dunant spent the last quarter of an extraordinary life in Heiden, most of it in a single room in the town's old hospital. He died there on October 30, 1910. Today, a museum in the same building presides over a series of events to mark the centenary of his death. Heiden rescued Dunant from obscurity — it was here that a telegram arrived in 1901, announcing that he had won the first-ever Nobel Peace Prize — then fell into obscurity itself. Now the town hopes its most celebrated resident will put it back on the map.
In its heyday, Heiden was regarded as a lower-altitude alternative to swankier Swiss resorts such as Davos and St. Moritz. But the Great Depression killed off its spa industry, and today it must compete for tourists with countless other scenic and well-preserved Swiss towns. Heiden (pop. about 4,000) is part of Appenzellerland, a bucolic corner of eastern Switzerland famous for its dairy farms. The region is often overlooked by visitors on their way to the dramatic snow-capped peaks in the distance. This is a shame, since few places feel more authentically Swiss. The official website for Appenzellerland yodels and lows.
This year Heiden is making a noise about its most eminent resident, with exhibitions, concerts and an international youth camp. The Japanese city of Nagasaki has donated a replica of its Peace Bell, while American sprint legend Carl Lewis will lead hundreds of children in a "world harmony run" through the village. "It's not just about remembering Dunant," says Monika Gessler, Project Coordinator for the Dunant Year 2010 Association. "It's about giving young people an understanding of his values: solidarity, humanity and moral courage."
Dunant was born in 1828 in Geneva, about 200 miles away, to staunchly Calvinist parents who encouraged his early passion for social work among orphans, paupers and prisoners. He was a mediocre student, however, who dropped out of college to become an even worse businessman. In 1859, Dunant traveled to Solferino, in northern Italy, where he evidently believed that Napoleon III might pause from fighting Imperial Austria to intercede in his troubled business affairs in French-occupied Algeria. Then 31 years old, Dunant arrived in time to witness the aftermath of a nine-hour battle which had littered the rolling Italian countryside with tens of thousands of dead and wounded.
Medical care was meager — the French army had more veterinarians than doctors. So amid what he later described as "chaotic disorder, despair unspeakable, and misery of every kind," Dunant mobilized local volunteers — mostly women and girls — to care for the injured, whatever their nationality. Four years later, he and four other Genevans set up the International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, later to become the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Today, the movement has 97 million volunteers, supporters and staff in 186 countries.
Its distinctive emblem — an inverse of the Swiss flag — now decorates the windows of many Heiden businesses, as the town gears up to mark Dunant's death. The celebration is laced with irony, explains museum guide and local historian Corina Schmid-Maddalena. "Dunant couldn't stand Heiden people," she says cheerfully, "and they thought he was arrogant. He refused to speak German, while most locals couldn't speak a word of French." Reclusive and prone to bouts of depression and paranoia, Dunant was convinced that somebody was poisoning his food and opening his mail. During all his years in Heiden he made only a handful of friends.
Even today, you sense that not every Haedler — as Heiden people are called in one of Appenzell's thick dialects — cherishes Dunant's memory. Many locals have never visited the museum, admits Schmid-Maddalena. Perhaps they know that Dunant ended up here reluctantly, after a shocking reversal of fortune.
A decade that for Dunant began with triumph — in 1864, a year after the creation of the Red Cross, 12 governments adopted the first Geneva Convention — ended in disaster. His neglected business affairs collapsed, pauperizing him and wiping out investments by many friends and relatives. Bankrupt, he resigned from the International Committee in 1867 and left Geneva in shame, never to return. "Everything broke down around me, everything went dark," he wrote. He lived in a handful of countries over the next two decades, a fugitive from his creditors. Once, at a speech in the British city of Plymouth, he fainted, apparently due to hunger.
Settling in Heiden, ill-health brought him to Dr. Altherr's attention. But it was a 1895 article by a Swiss journalist which reintroduced Dunant to the world. "Without you, the Red Cross, the supreme humanitarian achievement of the nineteenth century would probably have never been undertaken," read the citation for his Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with the French pacifist Frédéric Passy. Dunant had his prize money administered from Norway, so that his creditors couldn't get it.
"Would you like to try some whey?" asks Schmid-Maddalena, rummaging through a refrigerator during a tour of the museum. (Fortunately, she serves a drinkable modern variety, fortified with orange juice.) The tour includes a reconstruction of Dunant's room with his original armchair, its upholstery worn thin during his years of seclusion. Nearby hangs an equally ragged artifact from another era: a Red Cross flag used as a blanket by an ICRC delegate kidnapped in Angola in 1982.
The flag is a reminder of how much war has changed, and how fragile Dunant's cherished concept of neutrality sometimes seems. Almost everyone who perished at Solferino was a soldier, but civilians — among them humanitarians — do most of the dying in modern conflict. In 2008, more aid workers were killed than armed United Nations peacekeeping troops. Kidnappings continue: in March ICRC worker Gauthier Lefevre was freed after being held hostage in Darfur for 147 days.
"Let us raise our spirits and our souls above the narrow horizon of our small countries to see only humanity," wrote Dunant. His second-floor room — now the super-tidy office of a medical technician — still has its fine view of Heiden's clock tower, a landmark Dunant grew to hate as its bell fastidiously tolled away his final hours in quarter-hour segments. "How tiresome it is to die so slowly," he told Dr. Altherr. Dunant lived to the age of 82. He spurned both Heiden and his hometown of Geneva as a final resting place, requesting to be buried in Zurich "with no ceremony of any kind."
His death didn't sever Heiden's connection with the Red Cross. Consider this curious postscript. The year is 1944. With war in Europe raging to a close, a Heiden woman called Claire Kellenberger gives birth in the same hospital building in which Dunant drew his last breath. It is a boy. She calls him Jakob. Today, he is president of the ICRC.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Ireland's leading daily newspaper carries Editorial on Irish Red Cross problems while Transparency International calls for independent review
Irish Independent carries Editorial on Irish Red Cross problems and Transparency International press release calls for independent review of Ireland’s national Red Cross Society.
Following the recent intense political and media attention on the endemic problems within the Irish Red Cross (see recent Blog articles for details) the Irish Independent newspaper, Ireland’s biggest selling week day publication, has carried an extremely important editorial on the Irish Red Cross (in its 27th October 2010 edition). The full transcript of this editorial can be found later in this article.
On 26th October 2010 Transparency International-Ireland issued a press release nationally and internationally announcing the publication of its Corruption Perception Index 2010. In this press release it specifically references the situation prevailing at the Irish Red Cross. For those readers not familiar with Transparency International it is a global organisation that monitors and reports on corruption and abuse of power around the world. It has offices in many countries including one in Dublin. The Corruption Perceptions Index is published annually by Transparency International and measures international business and expert perceptions of levels of public sector corruption around the world. Six surveys conducted by think tanks including the World Economic Forum and the Economist Intelligence Unit were used in compiling Ireland’s results. It says much about the state of play at the Irish Red Cross when it is specifically mentioned in Transparency International-Ireland’s press release. Extracts from the press release and a link to the full release are contained further down in this article.
The Irish Independent editorial of 27th October 2010 is transcribed below in full:
Whistleblowers need protection
What a relief: Ireland is not corrupt after all. Well, not too corrupt anyway, when compared to the likes of Somalia and Afghanistan. AQ corruption index, which is compiled by Transparency International, places Ireland as 14th least corrupt country. It all sounds rather academic until we hear John Devitt of the Irish branch of Transparency criticise the Government’s failure to adequately protect whistleblowers who expose misbehaviour within organisations. Such people run the risk of being sacked or sued in return for acting in the public interest. The organisation draws particular attention to the case of Noel Wardick who was suspended from his position in the Irish Red Cross (IRC) after he revealed himself as the author of a blog which alleged issues of poor governance and financial irregularities at the charity. The Minister for Defence, Tony Killeen, has repeatedly refused to get involved, despite the fact that Mr. Wardick seems likely to be declared guilty of misconduct and sacked.
At the heart of the extraordinary affair is €162,000 of donations which lay idle in a Tipperary bank account for three years. An inquiry by outside accountants was launched by the IRC, only to be quickly abandoned on the basis of cost and replaced with an internal probe which has been criticised in the Dail as being simply not credible.
An independent inquiry into the allegations and the mysterious case of the Tipperary bank account would seem to be the only way the IRC can ensure that its excellent reputation remains unblemished.
Ends
Extracts from the Transparency International-Ireland press release are below:
Transparency welcomed the recent anti-corruption investigations led by the Criminal Assets Bureau but criticised the Government’s current approach to whistleblower protection which only protects employees in selected categories. The anti-corruption group claims that people working across the public, private and non-profit sectors continue to be exposed to dismissal or legal reprisals for reporting concerns in the public interest.
Transparency has also called on the Irish Red Cross (IRC) to set a good example for other non-profit organisations by commissioning an independent review of claims made by its Head of International Department, Noel Wardick and by suspending its disciplinary action against him until the findings of an independent review are published. Mr. Wardick publicly aired his concerns about financial mismanagement and governance at the charity, and has been suspended since August of this year.
“Employers should do the right thing by those who honestly report their concerns and act on the information at hand. The Irish Red Cross is not the only organisation to have faced the kind of challenges that Mr. Wardick has claimed it faces. It would be a shame if his reports were to end in his dismissal”, said Mr. Devitt, Director of Transparency International-Ireland.
Ends
The link to the full Transparency International press release is:
http://www.transparency.ie/news_events/cpi2010.htm
The Irish Times of 27th October, page 18 (Business Section) also carried a report on the Irish Red Cross situation and the Corruption Index. The article is based on the Transparency International press release.
In addition to all of the above commentary on the Irish Red Cross on one of Ireland’s leading web discussion forums, www.boards.ie is alive and well. The exact link is below:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056016355&highlight=Irish+Cross
Following the recent intense political and media attention on the endemic problems within the Irish Red Cross (see recent Blog articles for details) the Irish Independent newspaper, Ireland’s biggest selling week day publication, has carried an extremely important editorial on the Irish Red Cross (in its 27th October 2010 edition). The full transcript of this editorial can be found later in this article.
On 26th October 2010 Transparency International-Ireland issued a press release nationally and internationally announcing the publication of its Corruption Perception Index 2010. In this press release it specifically references the situation prevailing at the Irish Red Cross. For those readers not familiar with Transparency International it is a global organisation that monitors and reports on corruption and abuse of power around the world. It has offices in many countries including one in Dublin. The Corruption Perceptions Index is published annually by Transparency International and measures international business and expert perceptions of levels of public sector corruption around the world. Six surveys conducted by think tanks including the World Economic Forum and the Economist Intelligence Unit were used in compiling Ireland’s results. It says much about the state of play at the Irish Red Cross when it is specifically mentioned in Transparency International-Ireland’s press release. Extracts from the press release and a link to the full release are contained further down in this article.
The Irish Independent editorial of 27th October 2010 is transcribed below in full:
Whistleblowers need protection
What a relief: Ireland is not corrupt after all. Well, not too corrupt anyway, when compared to the likes of Somalia and Afghanistan. AQ corruption index, which is compiled by Transparency International, places Ireland as 14th least corrupt country. It all sounds rather academic until we hear John Devitt of the Irish branch of Transparency criticise the Government’s failure to adequately protect whistleblowers who expose misbehaviour within organisations. Such people run the risk of being sacked or sued in return for acting in the public interest. The organisation draws particular attention to the case of Noel Wardick who was suspended from his position in the Irish Red Cross (IRC) after he revealed himself as the author of a blog which alleged issues of poor governance and financial irregularities at the charity. The Minister for Defence, Tony Killeen, has repeatedly refused to get involved, despite the fact that Mr. Wardick seems likely to be declared guilty of misconduct and sacked.
At the heart of the extraordinary affair is €162,000 of donations which lay idle in a Tipperary bank account for three years. An inquiry by outside accountants was launched by the IRC, only to be quickly abandoned on the basis of cost and replaced with an internal probe which has been criticised in the Dail as being simply not credible.
An independent inquiry into the allegations and the mysterious case of the Tipperary bank account would seem to be the only way the IRC can ensure that its excellent reputation remains unblemished.
Ends
Extracts from the Transparency International-Ireland press release are below:
Transparency welcomed the recent anti-corruption investigations led by the Criminal Assets Bureau but criticised the Government’s current approach to whistleblower protection which only protects employees in selected categories. The anti-corruption group claims that people working across the public, private and non-profit sectors continue to be exposed to dismissal or legal reprisals for reporting concerns in the public interest.
Transparency has also called on the Irish Red Cross (IRC) to set a good example for other non-profit organisations by commissioning an independent review of claims made by its Head of International Department, Noel Wardick and by suspending its disciplinary action against him until the findings of an independent review are published. Mr. Wardick publicly aired his concerns about financial mismanagement and governance at the charity, and has been suspended since August of this year.
“Employers should do the right thing by those who honestly report their concerns and act on the information at hand. The Irish Red Cross is not the only organisation to have faced the kind of challenges that Mr. Wardick has claimed it faces. It would be a shame if his reports were to end in his dismissal”, said Mr. Devitt, Director of Transparency International-Ireland.
Ends
The link to the full Transparency International press release is:
http://www.transparency.ie/news_events/cpi2010.htm
The Irish Times of 27th October, page 18 (Business Section) also carried a report on the Irish Red Cross situation and the Corruption Index. The article is based on the Transparency International press release.
In addition to all of the above commentary on the Irish Red Cross on one of Ireland’s leading web discussion forums, www.boards.ie is alive and well. The exact link is below:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056016355&highlight=Irish+Cross
Monday, October 25, 2010
"Dash to save job of Red Cross Mole"
On Sunday 24th October 2010 the Sunday Independent, Ireland's largest selling newspaper published the following article, written by Chief Reporter, Daniel Mc Connell:
Dash to save job of Red Cross mole
Demands for Killeen to 'grab issue by neck' and defend whistleblower
DANIEL McCONNELL Chief Reporter
MINISTER for Defence Tony Killeen has been called on to stage an eleventh-hour intervention to prevent the sacking next week of an Irish Red Cross whistleblower, the Sunday Independent has learned.
Noel Wardick, head of International Development at the IRC, was suspended after he revealed himself to be the author of an online blog which continually highlighted issues of poor governance and financial irregularities at the charity.
Officially, the disciplinary process is still ongoing but the Sunday Independent has learnt that it is to be concluded next week, and it is expected that Mr Wardick will be found guilty of "misconduct".
Mr Killeen, who has responsibility for the Irish Red Cross, has repeatedly refused to intervene in the issue, despite the embattled charity receiving almost €1m in funding from the State annually.
Supporters of Mr Wardick, including some members of the IRC's central council, have called on Mr Killeen to "grab the issue" by the neck and prevent the sacking.
"Wardick risked his own career to speak out and raise publicly what has been going wrong in the IRC. Now he faces the sack for his trouble. He needs not only to be protected but thanked for his courage," said one government-appointed council member.
Fine Gael's David Stanton has also called on Mr Killeen to stop sitting on his hands and sort the IRC out once and for all.
"His repeated refusal to get involved is disgraceful. I am very anxious that these issues are severely damaging the reputation of the Irish Red Cross. A total overhaul of the governance structure is needed and he has sat on his hands while all this controversy has rolled on," he said.
Mr Killeen repeated his refusal to get involved in the IRC controversy during questions in the Dail about the charity last week, including a number from his coalition partner Green Party TD Paul Gogarty, who asked him to explain his actions following recent revelations about the IRC.
The Irish Red Cross came in for criticism two weeks ago when we reported that it cancelled an independent review in to how €162,000 of donations lay idle in a Tipperary bank account controlled by then acting IRC chairman Tony Lawlor.
The IRC said that it had decided to end the independent inquiry on "cost grounds" and had replaced it with an internal committee investigation. Despite Mr Wardick's admission that he was the author of the critical blog, the IRC has controversially decided to continue its legal action against Google for facilitating the blog.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dash-to-save-job-of-red-cross-mole-2392428.html
Dash to save job of Red Cross mole
Demands for Killeen to 'grab issue by neck' and defend whistleblower
DANIEL McCONNELL Chief Reporter
MINISTER for Defence Tony Killeen has been called on to stage an eleventh-hour intervention to prevent the sacking next week of an Irish Red Cross whistleblower, the Sunday Independent has learned.
Noel Wardick, head of International Development at the IRC, was suspended after he revealed himself to be the author of an online blog which continually highlighted issues of poor governance and financial irregularities at the charity.
Officially, the disciplinary process is still ongoing but the Sunday Independent has learnt that it is to be concluded next week, and it is expected that Mr Wardick will be found guilty of "misconduct".
Mr Killeen, who has responsibility for the Irish Red Cross, has repeatedly refused to intervene in the issue, despite the embattled charity receiving almost €1m in funding from the State annually.
Supporters of Mr Wardick, including some members of the IRC's central council, have called on Mr Killeen to "grab the issue" by the neck and prevent the sacking.
"Wardick risked his own career to speak out and raise publicly what has been going wrong in the IRC. Now he faces the sack for his trouble. He needs not only to be protected but thanked for his courage," said one government-appointed council member.
Fine Gael's David Stanton has also called on Mr Killeen to stop sitting on his hands and sort the IRC out once and for all.
"His repeated refusal to get involved is disgraceful. I am very anxious that these issues are severely damaging the reputation of the Irish Red Cross. A total overhaul of the governance structure is needed and he has sat on his hands while all this controversy has rolled on," he said.
Mr Killeen repeated his refusal to get involved in the IRC controversy during questions in the Dail about the charity last week, including a number from his coalition partner Green Party TD Paul Gogarty, who asked him to explain his actions following recent revelations about the IRC.
The Irish Red Cross came in for criticism two weeks ago when we reported that it cancelled an independent review in to how €162,000 of donations lay idle in a Tipperary bank account controlled by then acting IRC chairman Tony Lawlor.
The IRC said that it had decided to end the independent inquiry on "cost grounds" and had replaced it with an internal committee investigation. Despite Mr Wardick's admission that he was the author of the critical blog, the IRC has controversially decided to continue its legal action against Google for facilitating the blog.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dash-to-save-job-of-red-cross-mole-2392428.html
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Some of Ireland's most respected politicians question Minister on Irish Red Cross situation
On Thursday 21st October 2010 five leading politicians from Ireland's two main Opposition political parties, Fine Gael and Labour, issued formal questions to the Minister for Defence in the Irish Parliament, Dail Eireann, regarding the ongoing difficulties at the Irish Red Cross. This follows a number of questions put to the Minister on Tuesday 19th October by one of his own government colleagues, Paul Gogarty of the Green Party (see previous blog article for details and link). The politicians who posed questions on the 21st were:
- David Stanton, Fine Gael spokesperson on Defence
- Jim O'Keefe, Fine Gael
- Michael D. Higgins, Labour
- Joan Burton, Labour
- Joe Costello, Labour
It is to be noted that Michael D. Higgins is one of Ireland's most respected and highly regarded politicians and is likely to be a front runner in next year's Presidential election. Joan Burton of Labour is their Spokesperson on Finance and has a very real chance of being the country's next Minister of Finance once a general election is called.
Deputy David Stanton, Fine Gael, asked the Minister in one of his questions if he was the one responsible for delaying 'change, reform and progress' within the Irish Red Cross. Despite the Minister giving his usual standard answers that say very little a number of interesting points were noted in his reply, namely:
- The 'Office of the Attorney General and the Parliamentary Counsel' are now examining the situation at the Irish Red Cross so that the necessary reform can be effected.
- The Minister classified the plans as 'a major restructuring'. This Blog is of the view that the proposals submitted by the Irish Red Cross to Government will do nothing apart from retain the status quo and ensure those in power for the last twenty years remain in power.
- The Minister refused to be drawn on a timetable. Deputy Stanton pushed him on this but to no avail.
- The Minister stated that he expected the Irish Red Cross to be able to fill the post of Secretary General 'in the near future'.
Deputy Michael D. Higgins, Labour, asked two critically important questions:
- Asked the Minister his views on the sums of money being spent on consultants and legal fees by Irish Red Cross
- Asked the Minister his views on the reported salary of €160,000 a year paid to the Acting Secretary General.
Deputy Joan Bruton, Labour, asked the Minister about the claims made on the RTE (national TV broadcaster) Prime Time investigative program of 26th August 2010 about the Irish Red Cross and whether the Minister felt an independent investigation was required.
Deputy Joe Costello, Labour, asked the Minister for an update on the reported independent accountants review of a specific Irish Red Cross bank account. As was reported two weeks ago by the Sunday Independent and subsequently in this Blog we now know that the Irish Red Cross has cancelled this independent investigation and will instead carry it out themselves!
Deputy Jim O' Keefe, Fine Gael, asked the Minister for a progress update on the governance reform proposals and if statutory changes will be necessary.
The full transcript of the questions asked and the Minister's responses can be found on the following links (each link contains different questions and the Minister's response to those questions):
Irish Red Cross : 2 Dail debates================================Priority Questions (21 Oct 2010)http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2010-10-21.338.0&s=Irish+Red+Cross
*Irish Red Cross* SocietyIrish Red Cross Society (21 Oct 2010)http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2010-10-21.338.0&s=Irish+Red+Cross#g346.2
Written Answers - Irish Red Cross: Irish Red Cross (21 Oct 2010)http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2010-10-21.471.0&s=Irish+Red+Cross#g474.0.r
Written Answers - Irish Red Cross: Irish Red Cross (21 Oct 2010)http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2010-10-21.507.0&s=Irish+Red+Cross#g510.0.r
Written Answers - Irish Red Cross: Irish Red Cross (21 Oct 2010)http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2010-10-21.554.0&s=Irish+Red+Cross#g557.0.r
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