Thursday, August 25, 2011
Could certain Irish Red Cross board members face criminal prosecution under the new Criminal Justice Act 2011?
The Irish Times has reported that legislation aimed at strengthening Garda (Irish police) powers when investigating white-collar crime and legally protecting those who turn whistleblower came into operation earlier this month.
According to the newspaper “a key part of the white collar crime provisions in the Criminal Justice Act 2011 creates a new offence of failing to report business and corporate-related crimes, which is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to five years”.
Of particular note in relation to the Irish Red Cross is the section in the Irish Times article which states “An employer who penalises a whistleblower in any way can face up to two years in prison and the whistleblower can sue for damages”.
Only time will tell whether organisations such as the Irish Red Cross who have fired whistleblowers will have criminal prosecutions taken against them and if so whether individuals from those organisations will serve custodial sentences.
At the very least the legislation is to be welcomed and any protection afforded to whistleblowers who report wrongdoing in good faith, whether in the past or in the future, is a critically important step forward. For far too long employers have systematically and wilfully threatened, harassed and punished organisational whistleblowers. They have done so with complete impunity. That day is now over.
The first criminal prosecutions and jail sentences against individuals who have fired or targeted whistleblowers will send shock waves across Ireland but shock waves is exactly what is required. No organisation, whether private, public or charity is now above the law. All that remains to be seen over the coming months and years is which individuals and organisations are prosecuted under the new legislation and for how long those found guilty will serve in prison.
No doubt there are plenty of individuals out there who are having sleepless nights since Minister Alan Shatter brought this pioneering piece of legislation before the Irish Parliament and saw it successfully passed into law. The possible threat of criminal prosecution and a jail sentence will definitely cause insomnia even for the most brazen and shameless.
Minister Shatter said the Act was an important step in ensuring the white collar criminal would be vigorously pursued. “We must put an end to any hint of a culture that suggests that the white-collar criminal can act with impunity,” he said.
Under the Act, a person who has information that could help prevent a white collar crime or help the investigation of an offence committed is guilty of an offence unless they provide the information to the Garda. The information must be supplied “as soon as practicable”. Failure to supply the information, and to do so quickly, carries a jail term of up to five years on conviction.
Minister Alan Shatter, as well as having responsibility for passing the Criminal Justice Act 2011 also has statutory oversight of the Irish Red Cross.
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So does this mean that the persons who sanction the removal of monies which are destined for Appeals can possibly face jail....Yipee ! a good long stretch as a member of the Red Cross running the prison branch would do some no harm at all. Then again some might say there are some individauls that would squeeze between the bars they are so slippery.
ReplyDeleteSlippery! Trying to get one over on Tony Lony Lawlor, Tom Horwell, Sheila Callan and Ted Noonan and Co. is like trying to catch an eel by hand in Lough Neagh.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see Sheila is back in front of the Cameras anyone who names a trophy after herself and then is awarded it is truly a prize trophy herself. The Irish Red Cross are so lucky to have these people, at least they are saving other organisations from the embarrassment of having them as a member!
A great debate continues on www.boards.ie regarding the chaotic and dysfunctional Irish Red Cross. Great to see so many people involved and very important as many people in Ireland as possible are kept informed about what goes on so they dont risk their money in donations.
ReplyDeleteThe exact link is
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056335091&page=5
Please do visit the Irish Red Cross web site and see how you can conact a local branch near you. the site tells you that there are branches, but there are no details of who is involved or any contact details. You have to call the Head Office first. There is a good reason for this. Most of the branches don't exist !
ReplyDeleteeven if they did exist the Irish Red Cross are paranoid that someone might give details out in case somone might let branches know what is going on other than the propoganda sent out by yer man Ronan, who hasn't a clue what he is doing ! No disrespect Ronan, but you have been caught out too many times telling porkies to be believed by anyone !
Isn't it just great when Ireland is going down the tubes with lack of work the Irish Red Cross get a UK based company to design their web site.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/article/default.aspx?objid=84940
The company Cambridge has the following item on their web site. The Irish Red Cross’ decision to redevelop their website coincided with their decision to upgrade their existing back office management system to Iris CARE NG. The Irish Red Cross fully recognised netXtra's expertise not only in the provision of involving websites, but also in Iris CARE integration. The website project will comprise a phased joint Iris CARE implementation and integration program in order to substantially improve the visitor’s overall online experience, generally improve efficiency, and increase productivity by automating many of the organisation's existing manual processes'.
Seems they might be good at doing web sites but crap at spelling ! Tanya Pocock says she is so looking forward to it's launch. What about buy Irish Tanya ? Good on ya girl.
enquiries@netxtra.net is the contact detail for the company who will design the new Red Cross website. did they choose a UK based company because no one in Ireland would risk being involved with them? The plot thickens!
ReplyDeleteAll of us who work in the Irish Red Cross know that the IT Manager named above has a number of functions one of which is to monitor all staff emails in order to spot and root out dissent and report on staff email correspondence to the boss. All staff know this and this in itself keeps the fear levels nice and high. Staff learned some time ago not to trust this individual. So someone who is prepared to do this to colleagues will not be in the least bit concerned about giving such a lucrative contract to a British based company.
ReplyDeleteOf course an Irish company could have successfully carried out this work and probably for a more competitive price. In this recessionary environment a great deal could have been negotiated in Ireland.
At least we know that donor money to the Irish Red Cross, public and tax payer grant from government, is being spent keeping people in the UK in jobs. You can be sure the British Red Cross doesnt employ Irish companies to update their website!
I recently wrote a letter to all staff of the Irish Red Cross, expressing my concerns that the Irish Red Cross was implicating staff (in an article in the Indpendent), in the failure of Tony Lawlor to declare that he was responsible for hiding 162k of relief money in a secret bank account in Tipperary. I emailed it to Ronan in the Red Cross and this was his response.
ReplyDelete'I'm afraid I can't authorise sending it to all staff. Even if I did have the authority, I'm not sure it would be ethical, or even legal frankly'. Ethical and legal what great jargon to be using when it comes to a simple letter, yet the Vice Chairman of the Society can hide money and all they do is make excuses and keep promoting him.
Gerard Moyne
Life Member Irish Red Cross
Blankets for Pakistan, Money hidden in Tipperary, Money taken from the people of Haiti and now to add insult to Injury, after ignoring the Minister of Defences letter not to appoint Tony Lawlor to Vice Chairman of the Irish Red Cross. They take the Governments money and send it to England. I have nothing against the English, its just this is another big middle finger by Lawlor and co. to the Irish people.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThe Sunday Independent (28th August) has an interesting article by Daniel McConnell relating to the absolutely sickening culture of rewarding failure in this country. The article is related to banks and the civil/public service in the main.
ReplyDeleteHowever reading the article and being aware of the "goings-on" at the Irish Red Cross it is blatantly clear that the Irish Red Cross ticks every box in terms of being a member of that special club where greed, incompetence and downright failure is rewarded.
In fact at this point in time the Irish Red Cross stands head and shoulders above the banks and civil service in terms maintaining this reward for failure culture. At least a few senior figures have departed from the banks and civil service (departed with huge pay-offs of course), whereas at the Irish Red Cross the culture of failure continues along with a blatant disregard for any form of accountability of transparency.
Please please please there has to be a block busting movie in the Irish Red Cross story with at least one sequel. There is so much scandal and deceit and dishonesty and stupidity. The film series could be up there with the Godfather series.
ReplyDeleteThink about it, in the 1970's the Irish Red Cross channelled £100,000 (Irish punts) to the Provisional IRA. In 2011 they channel tens of thousands of Euros to a UK IT company. Is this what is meant by the 'Peace Process and Reconciliation'??!! Those Irish Red Cross board members and staff responsible for the IRA funding scheme must be fuming at recent developments :-)
Throw in all the scandals in between such as the Larry Goodman beef scam involving Irish Red Cross board members, property scandal, Tipperary tsunami bank scandal, Tipperary branch loan write off scandal, Pakistan blankets scandal and many many more and I think at least 3 films will be required to cover everything. And the fact that it will all be based on real events and true life characters should ensure its a box office hit.
Who would play Lawlor? Noonan?, Horwell?, the Prime Time spokesperson who humiliated herself-Sheila something?, Gerard Moyne?, Wardick?, Louis White?, the frightened Executive and impotent Central Council, the compliant and terrified senior managers only interested in keeping their jobs and getting free masters degrees? The monitoring of staff emails, the possibility of board members being sent to jail for firing a whistleblower etc.
The biggest problem would be trying to convince people that the movies are based on true events!!
I am sad to read how a dedicated professional staff member of the Irish Red Cross has been portrayed by some of the previous comments. I thought this blog was created to bring reform to the Irish Red Cross and it disappoints me to see such nasty personal comments. Lets keep the focus on the bigger picture please!
ReplyDeleteIts very good to see the new Irish Government bring in legislatin that will allow employers be sent to jail for firing whistleblowers and which will allow the police force fight white collar crime. For far too long organisations such as the Irish Red Cross have operated with impunity. Its real progress that that day is no more.
ReplyDeleteyou mention above that this may be used against the red cross perople, but will this law be a retroactive law? as i dont think there allowed in ireland
ReplyDeleteThe only problem with all of this is, if and when all these guys are brought before the courts do we have a prison big enough to deal with all the so called humanitarians, who thought that silence was their way of dealing with all the issues.
ReplyDeleteWill all those that knew be like the families of victims of church brutality who sat back and allowed their loved ones to be raped rather than have a priest held accountable.
Well, welcome to 2011 Red Cross members, now is our time and the silence is well and truly over and you will be held accountable and shamed and jailed for your part!
If this Government is determined enough to bring in legislation that could send employers to jail for sacking whistleblowers then maybe they will do what their Programme for Government says they will do about the Irish Red Cross and fundamentally reform the place. They will have a fight on their hands if they decide to pursue this because Irish Red Cross will resist all the way. Look at their response to Minister Shatter's letter in May when he asked Irish Red Cross to address the issue of long serving members. A few days later they re-appointed Lawlor and Noonan. Such an insult to a Minister. I fear for the consequences as Ministers dont like to be ignored.
ReplyDeleteWhats the latest on the undeclared property portfolio that Irish Red Cross for years has been in breach of Standard Accounting Practice for Charities? Is this an area that could be investigated under the new legislation described in the article above?
ReplyDeleteIts a sordid mess the Irish Red Cross. Only personnel change will rectify the problems.
It is indeed sad to have a professional staff member ridiculed, but welcome to the real world. Just because you are staff does not mean that you have no responsibility. Ok, we know that your jobs are vital to you, and that you have been threatened in the past by certain individuals, that if you open your mouth you are gone. But look at it this way, every single one let Noel Wardick get sacked. Most of the staff at the time Louis White was getting nailed stood back and let it all happen. So sorry for your troubles, but if one person in Haiti or Somalia died due to your silence then it was one too many !
ReplyDeleteThe staff member being ridiculed was due to taking a lucrative contract out of Ireland, so the question is why? not does that person feel bad.
This forum is for reform, there is no other access to Merrion Square. We have read about letters being refused distribution, monies being re directed, this all had to be done with the help of staff.
Some staff even agreed to publicly lie to protect the Executive Committee, how sick is that. We all know this is a mess and that this is all a repetitive cycle, as this has been going on for three decades, but the end is nigh.
Perhaps the only solution is a complete closure of the Society and a new one opened with proper Governance reform. Whatever it takes to get rid of Lawlor, Noonan, Callan, Horwell and Murphy it can not be one minute too soon.
I agree,until there is a wholesale clear out of existing board members nothing will change at the Irish Red Cross. They have failed spectacularly in their fiduciary duties. Under good governance practice they would be removed.
ReplyDeleteIf the Minister cuts the grant in aid budget to Irish Red Cross in 2012 it will be more to do with Irish Red Cross unacceptable governance and because of long serving board members such as Tony Lawlor and Noonan refusing to step down rather than the current recession. Most people have lost faith with the Irish Red Cross. It is widely viewed as poorly ran and disgracefully governed.
you need treatment, there are lots of places you can attend for mental health issues, this blog is very concerning !
ReplyDeleteIts comments like the one above regarding the blog authors mental health that help convince me and many others that everything he has written about is 100% true.
ReplyDeleteThe comment above is the sort of comment that was thrown at those brave people who made public the catholic church's abuse and torture of young children. The same sort of comment was thrown at the two major banking whistleblowers who blew the lid on the corruption at AIB. Its 'standard operating procedure' for those who are threatened by the truth. So predictable.
May I ask: How many of you shop in the North (or at the very least did so at the height of the so called Celtic Tiger when this end of the country was too pricey)? How many of you truly understand the the value of imports vs exports? How many of you know the full requirements of what has been contracted to the British company? How many of you couldn't care less as you see this as a chance to bash the Irish Red Cross? Who exactly was it that 're-appointed Lawlor and Noonan' following the Ministers letter? What's that you say...it was the Central Council! But who appointed them? Ohhh, the membership appointed some and the Government (aka Minister's dept)appointed the others! So who is it we are bashing here exactly? Who is it that we wish to reform exactly? Just asking!
ReplyDeleteRegarding the above view that the Irish Red Cross being viewed as poorly ran and disgracefully governed. Lets not give them more credit than they are due. The Irish Red Cross is not governed it is controlled by a finite few, commonly known as a dictatorship. It is not poorly ran it isn't running anywhere its static and has been for years. Even the new all singing and all dancing ex banker has had his strings firmly attached and has been put into his cupboard ready for release as and when it he is required. ie you tube video's.
ReplyDeleteMr ex banker it appears has already shown how things will be done in the future, with the recent appointment of a non Irish web company doing the new web site. Looks like all new Government finance will be used outside Ireland. Pity ! Even some of the last heros bought blankets for Pakistan in Ireland. Ok they were four times as expensive as anywhere else, but who cares about such things !
Does anyone rememember the candles, Red Cross candles 96k was wrtten off on that pile of wax.. I still have a few boxes going cheap.
If the newspaper the Southern Star has reported correctly the Skiberreen Branch of IRC has forwared funds raised for the Japanese earthquake direct to the Japanese Ambassador. This would be against the normal standing orders and procedures of the RC in that such international dealings should be handled by National Headquarters.
ReplyDeleteIs this a sign of distrust from one of IRC's branches or is it symtematic of a lack of control within IRC?
Report from Southern Star reads:
"Mr Gordon Benn and the staff of the Drinagh Supermarket, Skibbereen, collected €1,050 for the victims of the Japanese Earthquake. The local branch of the Red Cross Society forwarded the money to the Japanese Embassy, and the Ambassador, HE Chihiro Atsumi, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the generous donation. He stated that it was a great support for the people of Japan confronting this unparalleled disaster. "
Can I make one thing very clear, the blog author wasn't brave. He came out to the public when he realized his identity had been revealed to the Irish Red Cross. There is no bravery involved in any part of this blog (my own comment included). This is a cowards site for cowardly people. Thank god my area had the maturity to speak out and stand up but we do it in the proper manner.
ReplyDeleteA "Rebelous" Volunteer
In response to: 'this Blog is very concerning', might you be responding having had experience of receiving treatment for an illness, which in its self is quite concerning and should not to be regarded in such a whimsical and down right belligerent manner. Mental illness is a serious issue and for you to make such a comment is obvious proof how obnoxious an individual you must be to make light of such a thing. Or perhaps you are a professional Psychiatrist and have made a diagnosis based on proven medical research, probably not!
ReplyDeleteYou are probably a typical supporter of Anthony Lawlor and Co., willing to do what ever it takes to insure that status quo remains in force. Willing to take what ever money comes in for those that need it most and use it for fancy 4x4’s etc. so that you look good and to hell with the victims who need help most.
Indeed there are lots of places we can attend they call it the courts and I am sure you will be willing to do your part in seeking justice. Indeed this Blog is very concerning and more so because it contains the truth if it didn’t the Irish Red Cross would be in their favourite place ‘Court’.
Dear "Rebelious Volunteer",
ReplyDeleteWell you gave me a laugh at least with your self imposed title!! You are not rebellious so sorry to burst your bubble. You are silent, quiet and afraid to put your name to your comment but you do admit to being cowardly which is a contradiction to being a rebel.
If your branch did anything to stand up for honesty and intrigity you and your fellow volunteers are to be commended. You did the right thing. Doing the right thing is not rebellious, its doing the right thing. The problem is if you wish to do the right thing you must follow through on it. Making one complaint or one stand is not enough. That is where people like Noel Wardick and you are so different. He has followed through on his five year attempt to force honesty and integrity into the Irish Red Cross.
You dont know your facts Mr. so called Rebel. Noel Wardick for five years went on record and in writing with all his complaints, letters and formal emails which he sent to David Andrews, the former Chairman, the former Secretary Generals, John Roycroft, the consultant chap who was in charge in 2010, and he was one of 20 saff to sign a letter which was sent to David Andrews and also to the Central Council. Noel Wardick fought to have Tony Lawlor and Des Kavanagh investigated. This he did openly, on record and did so in writing. Lawlor and Kavanagh both knew this as his correspondence were formal written complaints. Noel Wardick wrote demanding the resignation of Lawlor after the discovery of the Tipperary tsunami bank account. Noel Wardick did not hide anywhere. He was open and he stood up to be counted. he was despised for years by the little ruling elite becasue he was such a threat to them and nothing they did to him scared him or made him stop. He just kept coming back at them. He was a targetted man since 2007 after he defended the then Secretary General who Lawlor and co removed. Wardick has openly challenged Lawlor and Kavanagh and co for years so do not accuse him of being cowardly. You are cowardly yes but he is not. Des Kavanagh threatened to sue Wardick last year when he was an employee. Noel Wardick threatened to sue Kavanagh back and guess what, Kavanagh went silent and ran away with his tail between his legs. Wardick always stood up and faced down these individuals and that is the reason he was fired so get your facts correct.
Your other incorrect fact is Noel Wardick's identity as the blog author was never discovered. The only way it could have been discovered was if Google revealed his identity. They refused and the Irish Red Cross lost their legal battle and spent €140,000 in legal fees in 2010 in losing that battle. So get your facts right on this one, Noel Wardick revealed himself as the author, on one else did because Google insisted on defending the right to free speech something Irish Red Cross was trying to silence. Thankfully IRC failed but at a huge cost in wasted donor money. The Consultant was scapegoated on that one but the board should have been forced to collectively resign for an outrageous waste of donor money.
So so called rebellious volunteer when you spend five years openly demanding honesty and integrity at the Irish Red Cross (in writing and verbally) and demanding that Lawlor, Kavanagh, Noonan and co are investigated and you are targetted and lose your job as a result you can then and only then consider yourself on a par with Noel Wardick.
If you want to be a real rebel then dont award yourself the name earn it.
So it seems we can add candles to the long list of incompetence, waste of resources and scandals in the Irish Red Cross.
ReplyDeleteI have seen a few times over the last year reference to Larry Goodman and some sort of a scandal involving him and the Irish Red Cross over a beef consignment donation Goodman made to the Society. Lawlor and Kavanagh apparently were involved at the time. I would be interested in hearing what happened here and what happened to the beef donation and why it ranks as one of the big Irish Red Cross scandals?
So the Irish Red Cross Skibeereen branch sent money they collected for the Japanese earthquake directly to the Japanese Ambassador. Once again nobody is in control at the Irish Red Cross. All monies collected by branches MUST be returned to head office where decisions are then made.
ReplyDeleteIt seems in Irish Red Cross you can do what you like with money collected for appeals. Thankfully the Skibeereen branch at least gave the money to the Japanese Ambassador unlike their colleagues up the road in Tipperary who kept the asian tsunami money hidden in an undeclared bank account for years until the auditors caught them.
While the Skibeereen branch are to be congratulated for their kind fundraising efforts the fact they by passed head office shows how little control and adhearance to organisational policy there is in the Irish Red Cross. If the money doesnt appear in head office it will not be recorded as having been collected so once again Irish Red Cross figures and accounts will be inaccurate.
It is a bit of a lottery giving money to Irish Red Cross but maybe the Skibeereen branch wanted to themselves safely hand over the money to its intended donor because they lack confidence in the ability of the Irish Red Cross as an organisation to handle donations correctly. And to be honest who would blame them
God sometimes I just cannot bear the close mindedness of some people. A "rebelous" volunteer classing Wardick as a coward??? The level of ignorance (and irony) displayed by such statements is mind boggling. I am delighted the comment above (in response to Mr Rebel himself) has so concisely responded to such immature statements. The response above contains the facts and as in line with the very ethos of this blog in that it sets out the facts, straight and simple.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes of course everyone and anyone can come on here and post comments, and yes we can all be brave and anonymous in this forum. But this forum exists mainly because there is absolutely no allowance for free and critical speech within the Irish Red Cross. It is repressed and crushed with brutal consistency. This forum has provided a relief valve for so much pent up anger. It scares the hell out the ruling elite, they cannot stop it, they've written strongly worded letters, made all kinds of threats but it is still here. I look forward to the day when this blog slips away off the radar, because that is the day the Irish Red Cross will be on the road to reform, before then it is going nowhere.
I can only say this based on my perception of the blog author, and that perception is one of a brave, proud, moral and downright stubborn believer in the Red Cross Movement. I feel the need to defend the blog and its author Mr. Wardick, from such accusations of cowardice but again I suspect such statements cause Mr. Wardick nothing more than to chuckle to himself. I am sure such statements remind him, as they do me, of a cornered bully who knows he has been exposed for what he really is.
I have to the best of my knowledge been the only member of the Irish Red Cross to put my name openly to my comments on this Blog, other than Noel Wardick. I have been recently kicked out unceremoniously out of an Area meeting of Donegal using a rule which does not exist as a justification. This rule was I believe supplied in writing by Mr Tony Lawlor. Neither I nor the Area Committee in Donegal has been allowed sight of this letter; even the General Secretary has been refused access to it.
ReplyDeleteMr Lawlor is good at telling lies and getting involved in things which do not concern him. I would like to refer to an incident dated 5th December 1996 where Lawlor, Kavanagh and Co. invited me to be reprimanded in Merrion Square for daring to criticize the Society. I refused to withdraw my allegations yet this is what Lawlor reported to the executive, ‘Mr Gerard P. Moyne, withdrew his comments and criticism regarding voting procedure of Central Council & other matters’. This was a blatant lie, of course my voice recording of this meeting tells the real truth.
They could not shut me up; Kavanagh threatened to sue me and failed. No records now exist of this reprimand. A recent freedom of information request suggests that these records have been destroyed. This is what some individuals are good at, making sure all traces are shredded. Dear, ‘Rebellious Volunteer’. I hear words of rebellion but very little smoke. Your representative certainly didn't speak out against Lawlor's appointment as Vice Chairperson.
Yours truly,
Gerard Moyne
Life Member Irish Red Cross
Isn't it interestig that every so often a memebr of the Irish Red Cross lifts their head an makes a comment on this Blog. Yet not a single word is heard at National level. No letters to CC memebrs no proposals or letters to the Executive. Silence, typical! No demands for Lawlor to get out. Cork found out how they care of their vote of no confidence against certain staff members, it's probably floating out to sea having been flushed.
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at the IRC website such is the presentation that you would swear everything is in good order. When you read from an IRC volunteer that "Thank god my area had the maturity to speak out and stand up but we do it in the proper manner." you would assume that again the IRC is open to influence and reform.
ReplyDeleteThis facade of normality is exposed by;-
the absence of honest answers to the serious charges detailed in this blog,
the failures to hold those responsible for malpractice such as for the Tipperary stashed funding,
the repeated failure to produce complete audited accounts due to an obscure property portfolio,
repeated failure to properly differentiate between earmarked and general fundraising,
inability to respect need for stakeholder accountability through the holding of statutory meetings such as Annual General Meetings,
inability to respond to emails of concern from the general public on issues such as questionable fundraising,
questionable recourse to legal action when humanitarianism would dictate a more concilitary approach such as negotiation and dialogue,
reliance on the good name of the Red Cross and Red Crescent internationally rather than on the organisations own earned integrity in Ireland.
I could go on with the many blog examples of where IRC's integrity is questioned and where IRC have brought disrepute to the whole Movement of Red Cross / Crescent but the case for reform of IRC had already been made over and over.
It should be well understood by those inside the IRC that unless reform is fortcoming, they will be for ever tainted by the current regime responsible for this situation which serves to support the positions of those in authority ahead of the needs of the poor and suffering which the organisation is designed to serve.
I see the Irish Red Cross Secretary General gets an uncomplimentary mention by Shane Ross in the Sunday Independent of September 4th, page 8 of the business supplement.
ReplyDeleteRoss writes an article about ex bankers who lost their jobs all making comebacks and not suffering as a result of brining down the banks and the economy. Ross takes a sort of look at 'where they are now'. In relation to Donal Forde he says:
"...while Donal Forde, head of AIB (Ireland) in times of all manner of trouble, re-emerged as the €140,000 a year boss of a humanitarian charity, the Irish Red Cross. Forde's appointment was possibly the most puzzling....In corporate Ireland if you are an insider you are protected"
There is still no word of the 600k that the Irish Red Cross took out of the Haiti Appeal. Will they ever give it back?
ReplyDeleteYawn...These misguided 'facts' are getting a little dull...IRC SC not on €140,000 a year.
ReplyDeleteDear Gerard Moyne, Life Member Irish Red Cross
ReplyDeleteYou seem so dedicated, fair play t-ya!
Why not go for the head job and get your nomination in for President before it's too late?
Yours hopefully,
Potential Voter
Forde was brought in by the elite of the Red Cross for one reason. He is the perfect Secretary General. He will do as he is told. He will not go public for fear of his past. He is the perfect nodding dog on the back window of a car.
ReplyDeleteAll you have to do is look at the calibre of some of the other individuals who applied for the same job. Forde has worked in a Bank, not exactly an expert in the field of Red Cross, unlike some of the other applicants.
To the commentor who starts off his/her comment with the words 'Yawn':
ReplyDeleteThe reason the Irish Red Cross has been disgraced and those responsible not held to account is because its so easy to fool people like who who believe everything the Irish Red Cross ruling elite tell you. Sad but people like you keep people who keep secret bank accounts in power.
Donal Forde's predecessor earned €165,000 per annum as Acting Sectretary General of the IRC. For the two years prior to that he was a consultant finance adviser to the IRC and in each of those years he earned €160,000. In the space of three years that man earned just under half a million Euros from the Irish Red Cross. A scandal if ever there was. Yawn all you like but these are facts. Just like everything else on this blog that IRC has failed to disprove. Why? Because this blog tells the truth.
Forde's salary was advertised as €95,000 pa. But there is a bonus element as well that was not advertised so perhaps you know that Mr. Forde will receive no bonus, otherwise his salary will be more than €95,000 and the total will depend on the size of his bonus. If Mr. Forde receives a pension contributon from the Irish Red Cross this should be factored into his cost.
Some other facts for you Mr/Ms Yawn....there is no such thing as Santa Clause!
From the Irish Times Editorial on Sept 9th re trying to keep jobs in Ireland:
ReplyDelete"Minister for Jobs and Enterprise Richard Bruton has spoken of increasing the amount of business the State awards to Irish companies. Separately, more than 6,000 new jobs were posited if households spent an additional €4 a week on Irish products. Supporting local and national enterprise in services, manufacturing, retail or food, can help stave off further job losses and turn the unemployment tide. The Government and its department agencies can only so so much: citizens must do the rest"
I wonder does the Minister know the Irish Red Cross is spending thousands of Euros of Irish donor money and probably government grant money on awarding the new IRC website contract to a UK company? No doubt the Irish Red Cross will tell us there is no IT company in the whole of Ireland capable of putting up a new website. As with most things IRC tell us they will be the only ones who believe it!
To the person who suggests that I should go for the top job as President. Thank you so much for your confidence in my abilities to take on such an onerous task. However, as you will be aware the position of President also means taking on the position of President of the Irish Red Cross. Given that several successive Presidents have made great efforts to distance themselves from this organisation.
ReplyDeleteI feel that I would not be best suited for this job as I would have Tony Lawlor and his cohorts held accountable for their activities. I am not sure the IRC is just ready to deal with the truth, given some of the sentiments aired towards me from members of the Red Cross recently. Truth appears to be a principle not commonly found within the policies and procedures of the Irish Red Cross.
Thanks for you kind words nevertheless!
Gerard Moyne
Life Member.
‘IRC Secretary not on 140k a year’. OK, and you know that as fact. What bull. The IRC nor its members are allowed to know anything about the spending in Merrion Square. Even the Auditors are not allowed to know. Ask them about the money from properties. Ask how it was they said that the job of SG was independently adjudicated by the Government agency who advertised the job. Not so ! It appears only a room was rented so as to make it appear that the state was involved in the process. Cute wh*** syndrome once again.
ReplyDeleteI was heartened to read an article in yesterday's (10th) Irish Times. It reported that 80% of Irish people believe that even in this economic downturn that the Government should deliver on aid commitments to the world's poorest people. The poll was published by Dochas which is the umbrella representative body for development NGOs in Ireland.
ReplyDeleteThis issue is always a sensitive one these days. In terms of perspective of problems, of course starvation and famine in Africa outweighs the problems we face here. But then again the mortgage payments, school fees, food bills, electricity & gas bills, the negative equity, the complete sense of hopelessness for a better future are all problems here and now for Irish people. They are real and we face them every single day. It is not famine but they are the problems we face in our own lives and they are very real and painful.
So with all that in mind I, for one, was very proud to read about this poll. We as a nation can still look at those who are so much more worse off and think "yes we should help them, they need our help". The report noted that support for continuing with our aid commitments was strongest amongst younger people. That is fantastic. It is the young of this country who will inherit the future including the brutal consequences of a short but intense period of madness in this country. They will deal with the debt and ghost estates and the hugely damaged national confidence.
But as this poll appears to show the majority of people can see beyond this despair. Being able to look outside our own shores and consider the plight of others even in our time of despair is in itself hugely promising - For our own nation and others.
Unfortunately the Irish Red Cross offers no contribution to this sense of hope. The organisation is stuck in that bygone era of cronyism, ruling elites, and downright greed. It is a damning indictment of the Irish Red Cross that this nation continues to contribute so much to others in serious need, when the Irish Red Cross can leave money languishing in undeclared bank accounts while re-directing donations for overseas humanitarian disasters to shore up the domestic balance sheet (and yes I have read the Irish Red Cross explanation for this, it is nothing short of insulting).
The Irish Government has committed to reforming the Irish Red Cross in its programme for Government. As a start those responsible for the abject mismanagement of a great organisation must held accountable - fully.
The incompetent dinosaurs will be held accountable. With 80% of the nation expressing such a generous, open and humanitarian opinion surely those running a humanitarian organisation based on greed, fear and deception cannot last - surely.
If it is OK to source blankets from over seas why is it not OK to source IT from overseas.
ReplyDeleteWhy do comments need approval!! Free speech????
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of the Executive Committee of the Irish Red Cross I would suggest that it is about time that the subscibers to this Blog realised, we don't give a toss what you think!
ReplyDeleteThe blankets were souced in Ireland so as to insure that the buddy system works. Of course the supplier outside Ireland could have provided them at a fraction of the cost. Of course there was no tenders sought.
ReplyDeleteQuote: "On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Irish Red Cross I would suggest that it is about time that the subscribers to this Blog realised, we don't give a toss what you think!"
ReplyDeleteWe have no way of knowing if this person is who he/she claims to be representing in anonymity but would it surprise if it was indeed the Chairman?
I would challenge the writer to use his/ her name in posting and to explain more lucidly why the level of engagement offered by IRC with those having legitimate complaints is so unbecoming for a humanitarian organisation.
"On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Irish Red Cross I would suggest that it is about time that the subscibers to this Blog realised, we don't give a toss what you think!"
ReplyDeleteThis is hilarious. In any normal situation you would expect that a comment like this could immediately be written off as originating from someone just throwing it in for a bit of a reaction, and certainly not from someone actually representing the Executive Committee. However, this is the Irish Red Cross we are talking about so sadly, very sadly, I would not be surprised if that was indeed the attitude of the Executive Committee.
To the person who wrote that comment, Executive Committee or not, thank you: There is no better demonstration of the level of contempt regularly dispensed by the ruling elite towards those striving to better the organisation.
Regarding the IT outsourcing v Pakistan blankets issue. My view is that the IT issue has probably been latched onto out of sheer frustration. When there is anger and frustration in an organisation, for very good reason,any opportunity will understandably be seized upon to highlight possible mismanagement. The question on the IT issue should be if value for money has been achieved? This is a fundamental criterion in any tender process. It is very surprising that no Irish company could not have provided the same expertise and value for money as a UK company. I would imagine the tender process and evaluation methodology would demonstrate that the UK company was the most appropriate and offered the best value for money. Or maybe my imagination is running wild on that regard?
The Pakistan blanket scenario has no relevance or comparison to the IT case. That was a humanitarian disaster situation. Within the aid world it is absolutely understand that speed of response and appropriate aid are vital to saving lives. Sourcing blankets from the west of Ireland at a multiple of the cost of blankets available locally (which were approved by the International Red Cross) and then wasting weeks shipping them to Pakistan goes against every accepted form of good practice of emergency response. It is a permanent shame on the Irish Red Cross that this situation was not only allowed to happen but was actively mandated by the Executive Committee contrary to the screams of protest from those experts within the Irish Red Cross who were actually working to save lives.
The jobs situation is Ireland is dire, there is not much argument there. When and where possible the Irish Red Cross should promote domestic business and employment, but its core business is saving lives. The Pakistan blanket scandal did throw some business to an Irish company, but sadly it also most likely cost human lives.
Glad to see a reasoned response about the IT issue and yes I understand the reason for sourcing Blankets. However it would be more helpful if bloggers kept to the issues at hand and not grasping at every aspect of the work the IRC is doing. Should we stop using AED's until we find an Irish maker. Indeed if the contract had gone to an Irish company it would not take long before a blogger finds some distant connection between the IRC and the IT company. Despite the past the Red Cross is a living org which needs to conitinue its work. It will not be helpful to have every decision the IRC makes posted here on the blog.
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