In the course of a speech during the recent Irish Red Cross National First Aid Competitions held in Limerick the Acting Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross, Declan O'Sullivan, allegedly suddenly veered off script and launched into a tirade against this Blog, its authors and bemoaned at length the problems he had to deal with at headquarters such as staffing, pensions, falling income etc. A rather stunned audience reportedly did not know where to look. Reports from Limerick suggest the Acting Secretary General was told to stop by the Vice Chairman (temporarily acting as Chairman), much to the embarrassment of all in attendance.
According to the many present who witnessed the 'speech' the Blog authors were called cowards. Apparently writing the Blog is worse than keeping a secret bank account for four years with over €150,000 collected for Tsunami victims and failing to declare or release the money until an internal audit discovered it. Apparently writing the Blog is worse than intimidating, harassing, bullying and threatening staff and members. Apparently writing the Blog is worse than scandalously wasting over €300,000 in two years on one consultant alone. Apparently writing the Blog is worse than catastrophic mismanagement over the last two and a half years and gross misgovernance over the last twenty years. Perhaps, in the view of some, writing the Blog is worse than all of the above but the Blog authors do not agree.
After the 'speech' it is reported that tension was intense between the Vice Chairman, Tony Lawlor, and the Acting Secretary General, Declan O'Sullivan. As one member told this Blog 'If anybody didnt previously know about the Blog's existence the Acting Secretary General's speech made sure they all know now. As you can imagine the Vice Chairman was furious because now everybody will be able to read in detail all about his disgraceful behaviour in keeping a secret undeclared bank account for four years. All the talk after the 'speech' was about whether the Acting Secretary General had purposely raised the Blog in such a public forum in order to 'discreetly' ensure everybody knows about the secret bank account and so put further pressure on the Vice Chairman to resign. But this would be a high risk strategy because as everyone in the Irish Red Cross knows when you upset or cross the Vice Chairman your days are numbered.... Just ask the last six Secretary Generals. Some people were of the view it was just very bad judgement on the part of the Acting Secretary General and reflective of his general inexperience. Regardless of the intentions it is reported that most people who were in Limerick, however, thought the speech was ill thought and very inappropriate'.
This Blog would like to issue a big Thank You to the Acting Secretary General for highlighting the Blog to the wider membership. We commend him for this uncharacteristic burst of transparency and we encourage him to continue in this vein. The more people within the Irish Red Cross and outside who know about it, thereby knowing the truth, the greater the likelihood that regime change will happen sooner rather than later and the rebuilding of the Irish Red Cross can finally commence.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Board intervention urgently required in staff bullying and harassment crisis at Irish Red Cross HQ
This Blog has reported in many of its articles that an intense atmosphere of fear and intimidation exists at the Irish Red Cross headquarters. The current period of bullying began following the unexpected and sudden resignation of the highly regarded former Chairman, David Andrews and former Secretary General, John Roycroft, in December 2009. Information from head office has been hard to come by at times but the general consensus is that staff are being subjected to a regime of subtle but endless harassment and intimidation. This began when the ruling elite on the Executive Committee parachuted the current Acting Secretary General into the position in the absence of an open advertisement and an appointment process shrouded in secrecy. One senior Irish Red Cross member who spoke to this Blog on condition of anonymity said ‘I can confirm that staff at head office are terrified but also that they are determined to resist and will do so in equal measure to the harassment meted out to them. They are frightened of being fired and know they are all vulnerable but at the same time they have no intention of accepting such disgraceful behaviour so in their own subtle, shrewd and discreet ways will fight back. It’s not clear if senior managers are involved in the bullying or whether they also are running scared. I know many of the head office staff and they do not deserve this treatment as they are hard working and dedicated. This intimidation must be stopped. Central Council must now intervene and instruct the Acting Secretary General to refrain from such tactics before the matter explodes into the public domain. We already know three trade unions and the Labour Court are involved and recently there are rumours that staff are consulting solicitors although this has not been confirmed’.
We have also previously discussed the impact of obsession with power. The Irish Red Cross is a perfect case study in the negative consequences and also the efforts those in power will go to in order to stay in power. The bullying, mistreatment and threatening behaviour towards staff is all part of the broader campaign by the Acting Secretary General and his masters that comprise the ruling elite on the Executive Committee to remain in office. Tensions are reaching fever pitch as the midyear Central Council meeting draws ever closer on 12th June where the next Executive will be ‘elected’. It remains to be seen if the wider membership has the courage to challenge the ruling elite and once and for all rid the Irish Red Cross of the cancer at its very heart.
Surely secret bank accounts containing tens of thousands of publicly donated Euros, archaic and inept governance, incompetence, unprofessional behaviour, unqualified leaders and scandalous spending of limited funds on exorbitant consultancy fees has to be stopped?
We have also previously discussed the impact of obsession with power. The Irish Red Cross is a perfect case study in the negative consequences and also the efforts those in power will go to in order to stay in power. The bullying, mistreatment and threatening behaviour towards staff is all part of the broader campaign by the Acting Secretary General and his masters that comprise the ruling elite on the Executive Committee to remain in office. Tensions are reaching fever pitch as the midyear Central Council meeting draws ever closer on 12th June where the next Executive will be ‘elected’. It remains to be seen if the wider membership has the courage to challenge the ruling elite and once and for all rid the Irish Red Cross of the cancer at its very heart.
Surely secret bank accounts containing tens of thousands of publicly donated Euros, archaic and inept governance, incompetence, unprofessional behaviour, unqualified leaders and scandalous spending of limited funds on exorbitant consultancy fees has to be stopped?
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Questions must be asked why Minister of Defence, Tony Kileen, continues to delay appointing a Chair to the Irish Red Cross
The Irish Red Cross has been leaderless for nearly five months. It became leaderless when both the Chairman and Secretary General at the time, David Andrews and John Roycroft respectively, suddenly and unexpectedly resigned in December 2009. By any standards this should have sent alarm bells to all Irish Red Cross members and to the Irish Government. Both men are highly regarded with one considered a statesman with an impeccable political career behind him and the other a consummate professional. All those familiar with the Irish Red Cross, members, volunteers, staff, government ministries, the Charity sector in general and the International Red Cross, are now aware that the organisation is convulsed in crisis. Yet no-one seems to be doing anything about it.
Minister Tony Killeen has statutory responsibility for appointing the chairperson of the Irish Red Cross. His predecessor took no interest in the problems of the Irish Red Cross but there was hope in the air after Minister Killeen’s appointment. Minister Killeen’s failure to act decisively and appoint a well qualified and suitably experienced chairperson is only exacerbating the leadership crisis and all the other deep seated problems that now beset the Irish Red Cross. Whomever Minister Killeen eventually appoints must be energetic, capable and be prepared to rectify the rot that has taken hold of the Irish Red Cross at its governance level. Two or three specific board members need to be asked to step down and allow the next generation their chance. Questions concerning the Vice Chairman’s undeclared bank account that kept over €150,000 in it for four years, money that was intended for Tsunami victims, needs to be investigated as a matter of priority. Similarly an investigation into the rumours of maltreatment and harassment of staff (both past and present) needs to be launched before there is an industrial relations meltdown. It is a scandal that all the dedicated and hard working volunteers around the country, committed Central Council and Executive Committee members and staff continue to be served by a failed leadership at the very top. Equally scandalous is the failure by the Government to appoint a strong Chairperson.
One member speaking to this Blog said ‘the appointment of the right calibre person to the Chair is critical. If this person is not prepared to remove the ruling elite and appoint a new Secretary General then the Irish Red Cross will continue on its road to irrelevance and oblivion. We have a deeply demoralised membership and a near traumatised staff. If even a small percentage of the stories are true we are heading for the rocks. It’s all very very sad’
Minister Killeen, this Blog sincerely requests your direct intervention. We humbly ask that you launch an independent investigation into the affairs of the Irish Red Cross and that you forthwith appoint a qualified, energetic, active, determined and capable Chairperson without further delay.
Minister Tony Killeen has statutory responsibility for appointing the chairperson of the Irish Red Cross. His predecessor took no interest in the problems of the Irish Red Cross but there was hope in the air after Minister Killeen’s appointment. Minister Killeen’s failure to act decisively and appoint a well qualified and suitably experienced chairperson is only exacerbating the leadership crisis and all the other deep seated problems that now beset the Irish Red Cross. Whomever Minister Killeen eventually appoints must be energetic, capable and be prepared to rectify the rot that has taken hold of the Irish Red Cross at its governance level. Two or three specific board members need to be asked to step down and allow the next generation their chance. Questions concerning the Vice Chairman’s undeclared bank account that kept over €150,000 in it for four years, money that was intended for Tsunami victims, needs to be investigated as a matter of priority. Similarly an investigation into the rumours of maltreatment and harassment of staff (both past and present) needs to be launched before there is an industrial relations meltdown. It is a scandal that all the dedicated and hard working volunteers around the country, committed Central Council and Executive Committee members and staff continue to be served by a failed leadership at the very top. Equally scandalous is the failure by the Government to appoint a strong Chairperson.
One member speaking to this Blog said ‘the appointment of the right calibre person to the Chair is critical. If this person is not prepared to remove the ruling elite and appoint a new Secretary General then the Irish Red Cross will continue on its road to irrelevance and oblivion. We have a deeply demoralised membership and a near traumatised staff. If even a small percentage of the stories are true we are heading for the rocks. It’s all very very sad’
Minister Killeen, this Blog sincerely requests your direct intervention. We humbly ask that you launch an independent investigation into the affairs of the Irish Red Cross and that you forthwith appoint a qualified, energetic, active, determined and capable Chairperson without further delay.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
A lust for Power the root cause of crisis at Irish Red Cross
Many articles have been written by this Blog over the past few months and during this time we have spoken to numerous members up and down the country. The one question we have asked continually is ‘why is the Irish Red Cross in a perpetual state of crisis and why do the same problems constantly reappear?' Problems of governance, the departure of six Secretary Generals, five of whom were fired, in a short space of time, an appalling history of staff maltreatment, intimidation and disputes and an organisation that has stagnated and refuses to modernise. While we have received many and varied responses to this troubling question the common thread is always ‘two or three board members lust after power, they are obsessed with it, they crave it like a drug and they are prepared to do anything to retain it regardless of the consequences’. Unfortunately for the Irish Red Cross these two or three Board members have been very successful in their obsessive ambition. They finally solidified their dominance in December 2009 when they appointed, without any transparent or credible recruitment process, an individual to the position of Acting Secretary General, whose only mandate is to remove all opposition to the ruling elite and to do as instructed by the ruling elite in their quest for permanent power. As one well placed member stated ‘make no mistake about it the Irish Red Cross is run by two or three individuals who have been Board members for nearly two decades. Nobody else, whether it be the Acting Secretary General, senior managers (who continue their cowardly silence), other Executive Board members or Central Council members, has any influence or power. The Irish Red Cross is a dictatorship and like any dictatorship the ruling elite has people who do their bidding and who benefit from supporting the ruling elite. Like any dictatorship, however, there is constant opposition to it but all opposition is treated ruthlessly. The opposition has never been and will unlikely ever be killed off completely but at the same time it has yet to strike a killer blow on the ruling elite and so the crisis stumbles on from one year to the next. What is required to end this is for the ruling elite to do the decent thing and step down at the upcoming Central Council meeting and allow the next generation its chance. Of course those obsessed with power never willingly step down so lets hope there are members brave enough to put themselves forward for election. If the ruling elite refuse to step down after twenty years then they need to be elected out of office, it’s that simple’.
When the former Chairperson, David Andrews and the former Secretary General, John Roycroft, both resigned suddenly and unexpectedly in December 2009 it was stated by the Irish Red Cross in press statements that the vacancy for a permanent Secretary General would be opened in the latter half of 2010. This Blog hopes this will be the case but based on experience it has little or no confidence that the ruling elite will permit this as they know that no experienced Secretary General of calibre would allow them run the Irish Red Cross as if it was their own personal property. Any change to the status quo is a serious threat to their rule. This is also why the Minister for Defence, Tony Killeen, must stop prevaricating and delaying the appointment of a Chairperson to the Irish Red Cross. His indecision and inaction are exacerbating an already very tense and deteriorating situation.
We started this article off by touching on power and the obsessive desire some people have for it. The term ‘power’ comes from the Latin ‘Posse’: to do, to be able, to change, to influence or effect. To have power is to possess the capacity to control or direct change. All forms of leadership must make use of power. The central issue of power in leadership is not will it be used. But rather will it be used wisely and well. Unfortunately the few Board members who constitute the Irish Red Cross ruling elite fare very badly in this regard. A famous quote from Winston Churchill is applicable to these people ‘Their insatiable lust for power is only equated by their incredible impotence in exercising it’.
It is the view of this Blog that change must come from Irish Red Cross members themselves. It cannot be acceptable for instance to the thousands of Irish Red Cross members that a Board member would keep an undeclared bank account for four years with over €150,000 in it collected for Tsunami victims and only hand over the money after its discovery by an internal audit and still continue in office. We as members must insist on and demand the highest of standards.
A number of members have said to this Blog ‘we want change but we have no power’. The opinion of this Blog is that the most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. Members do have power, they have the ultimate power, they are the ones who vote in Board personnel and therefore it is they who decide who gets elected and who does not get elected. Those in power must not be interested in power for powers sake. They must be interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.
Power, however it has evolved, whatever its origin, will not be given up without a struggle. This is something all Irish Red Cross reformists must be prepared for. Reformists must not weaken or lose resolve in the face of a ferocious response from the ruling elite. Those who profess to favour reform and freedom from this tyranny and yet are reluctant to take action are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rains without thunder and lightning; they want the oceans without the roar of its many waves. The struggle may be a moral or legitimate one. But either way it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand, it never has and it never will.
It has been said that nearly all men can stand adversity, from the strongest to even the weakest but if you want to test a man’s character give him power. Unfortunately the current leadership of the Irish Red Cross has failed this test.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts-Winston Churchill
When the former Chairperson, David Andrews and the former Secretary General, John Roycroft, both resigned suddenly and unexpectedly in December 2009 it was stated by the Irish Red Cross in press statements that the vacancy for a permanent Secretary General would be opened in the latter half of 2010. This Blog hopes this will be the case but based on experience it has little or no confidence that the ruling elite will permit this as they know that no experienced Secretary General of calibre would allow them run the Irish Red Cross as if it was their own personal property. Any change to the status quo is a serious threat to their rule. This is also why the Minister for Defence, Tony Killeen, must stop prevaricating and delaying the appointment of a Chairperson to the Irish Red Cross. His indecision and inaction are exacerbating an already very tense and deteriorating situation.
We started this article off by touching on power and the obsessive desire some people have for it. The term ‘power’ comes from the Latin ‘Posse’: to do, to be able, to change, to influence or effect. To have power is to possess the capacity to control or direct change. All forms of leadership must make use of power. The central issue of power in leadership is not will it be used. But rather will it be used wisely and well. Unfortunately the few Board members who constitute the Irish Red Cross ruling elite fare very badly in this regard. A famous quote from Winston Churchill is applicable to these people ‘Their insatiable lust for power is only equated by their incredible impotence in exercising it’.
It is the view of this Blog that change must come from Irish Red Cross members themselves. It cannot be acceptable for instance to the thousands of Irish Red Cross members that a Board member would keep an undeclared bank account for four years with over €150,000 in it collected for Tsunami victims and only hand over the money after its discovery by an internal audit and still continue in office. We as members must insist on and demand the highest of standards.
A number of members have said to this Blog ‘we want change but we have no power’. The opinion of this Blog is that the most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. Members do have power, they have the ultimate power, they are the ones who vote in Board personnel and therefore it is they who decide who gets elected and who does not get elected. Those in power must not be interested in power for powers sake. They must be interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.
Power, however it has evolved, whatever its origin, will not be given up without a struggle. This is something all Irish Red Cross reformists must be prepared for. Reformists must not weaken or lose resolve in the face of a ferocious response from the ruling elite. Those who profess to favour reform and freedom from this tyranny and yet are reluctant to take action are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rains without thunder and lightning; they want the oceans without the roar of its many waves. The struggle may be a moral or legitimate one. But either way it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand, it never has and it never will.
It has been said that nearly all men can stand adversity, from the strongest to even the weakest but if you want to test a man’s character give him power. Unfortunately the current leadership of the Irish Red Cross has failed this test.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts-Winston Churchill
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Six TD's, Three Political Parties and One Minister debate and discuss crisis ridden Irish Red Cross in Dail Eireann
On 21st April 2010 four TD’s tabled questions to the Minister of Defence, Tony Killeen, concerning the problem afflicted Irish Red Cross. The Minister responded in a verbal exchange with two additional TDs. Those elected representatives involved were as follows:
• Deputy Michael Noonan-Fine Gael
• Deputy John O’Mahony-Fine Gael
• Deputy Tom Sheahan-Fine Gael
• Deputy Thomas Broughan-Labour
• Deputy Jimmy Deenihan-Fine Gael Spokesperson on Defence
• Deputy Brian O’ Shea-Labour Spokesperson on Defence
• Minister Tony Killeen-Fianna Fail, Minister for Defence
See below link to the transcript from the debate:
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20100421.xml&Node=H10-3#H10-3
This Blog has lost track of the number of Parliamentary Questions raised in recent times about the Irish Red Cross, there has been that many. It is not a new phenomenon, however, as parliamentary questions have been raised on a regular basis about misgovernance and mismanagement at the Irish Red Cross for the last twenty years. What is interesting in 2010 is the number of times actual verbal exchanges on the Irish Red Cross have taken place in the Dail whereby the Minister has been forced to orally respond to and engage with opposition politicians. This is reflective of the deteriorating situation since December 2009 when the former Chairman, David Andrews and former Secretary General, John Roycroft, both resigned at the same time. Mr. Andrews and Mr. Roycroft were strong advocates of governance reform and both recognised the need for personnel change on the Executive Board and the ending of the invidious influence of two or three long serving members. Their efforts were ferociously resisted as were those of the previous five Secretary Generals, all of whom were fired. Mr. Andrews resigned only nine months into his new three year term and Mr. Roycroft resigned fifteen months early on his contract. These actions alone should have sent off alarm bells at government levels.
The failure to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced Chairperson by the government to replace Mr. Andrews has exacerbated the problem and the Irish Red Cross remains dangerously adrift. It is in many ways becoming a laughing stock within the Irish charity sector as well as within the International Red Cross Movement. The current Acting Chairman (normally Vice Chairman) has been in his position for twenty years and despite calls for his resignation, particularly in light of his failure to declare a bank account which he had signatory control over that had over €150,000 in it collected for victims of the Asian Tsunami in early 2005 and only discovered in an internal audit in late 2008, he refuses to contemplate stepping down and continues to dominate and control all activities of the organisation. The information around the ‘bank account’ is widely known throughout the Irish Red Cross but equally worryingly it is known by the Irish Government and internationally. The reputation of the Irish Red Cross is therefore suffering greatly, even on this issue alone. As one member said in discussions with this Blog ‘the credibility of the Irish Red Cross is suffering on a number of fronts. We have two or three people on our Board who have controlled the organisation for twenty years, and who, despite best governance practice, refuse to step aside. Many members throughout the country are ashamed that the Irish Red Cross is now chaired by someone who failed to declare an organisational bank account for four years until it was discovered during an internal audit. On top of all that we have an Acting Secretary General that was appointed without any recruitment process, with no vacancy advertisement and no interview. He was anointed into the position by the Executive Board’s ruling elite, put there to protect their power base. The Acting Secretary General is a Business Consultant who continues to run and operate his Business Consultancy firm in addition to running and operating a number of family retail businesses in Dublin city. It distresses so many of us that the Irish Red Cross has been reduced to this level and something must be done and done soon to reverse it’.
In the Dail parliamentary debate on 21st April 2010 the Minister stated he could not intervene directly in the affairs of the Irish Red Cross. As has been pointed out to the previous Minister this position is factually incorrect as under the Act that established the Irish Red Cross the Minister is entitled to intervene should he or she deem it necessary. The 1938 Act specifically states:
The Government may by the establishment order make provision in relation to all or any of the following matters, that is to say:-
a) The powers of the Society
b) The organisation of the Society
c) The management and administration of the affairs of the Society by a governing body
d) The finances and accounts of the Society
e) Any other matters in relation to the Society in respect of which it appears to the Government desirable and proper that provision should be made
This Blog is strongly of the view that the Minister must use his powers, as invested in him under the 1938 Act, to intervene directly in the affairs of the Irish Red Cross. This Blog would also like to advise the Minister of the following:
1. The ‘so-called’ Governance Reform Proposals submitted to his Department by the Irish Red Cross Working Group (which was in effect controlled by the current Acting Chairman) are designed in their entirety to ensure the current and discredited ruling elite remain in power for years to come. The Minister must not fall into the trap of accepting these proposals as anything other than an unashamed grab for permanent power. Should the proposals be passed in their current format the Minister and his colleagues will be dealing with a crisis ridden Irish Red Cross for at least another decade.
2. An Independent Investigation into the affairs and running of the Irish Red Cross is now a matter of urgency. It is a national organisation with both a national and international role and the present situation cannot be allowed continue. In addition there is the matter of nearly €1 million of tax payers money that goes into the Irish Red Cross every year.
3. The Minister must be made aware that externally the delay in appointing a credible and reputable Chairperson is generally put down to nobody being interested in taking on the position in such a severely dysfunctional organisation. The longer the delay in appointing the Chair the more reinforced this view becomes and the more the perception that the Irish Red Cross is unsalvageable takes root.
4. Real change will only take place when the two or three Board members who control the organisation with an iron fist are removed from office and when a sufficiently experienced and respected Secretary General is appointed.
5. When the Minister finally appoints the new Chair, and this Blog encourages him to do so immediately, one of the first priorities must be the open advertisement and recruitment of a new Secretary General. As previously written in this Blog the current staffing/industrial relations situation is potentially explosive with a very threatening atmosphere prevailing at Irish Red Cross headquarters.
6. The Minister must not allow the current governance reform proposals proceed. To the untrained eye they may appear a step forward but in reality they will guarantee many more years of the status quo which we all know means crisis, confusion, mismanagement and misgovernance. It is critical that any governance proposals brought forward must include a provision that clearly states all those with more than 12 years on the Executive Board step down immediately and not put themselves forward for the Executive Board again. This Blog understands this would only impact three individuals (who have all served nearly twenty years each) and as such would not in any shape or form impact on continuity or institutional knowledge.
This Blog wishes Minister Killeen success in his new role but it also calls on him to act decisively and with vision in playing his part in rectifying the crisis at the Irish Red Cross
• Deputy Michael Noonan-Fine Gael
• Deputy John O’Mahony-Fine Gael
• Deputy Tom Sheahan-Fine Gael
• Deputy Thomas Broughan-Labour
• Deputy Jimmy Deenihan-Fine Gael Spokesperson on Defence
• Deputy Brian O’ Shea-Labour Spokesperson on Defence
• Minister Tony Killeen-Fianna Fail, Minister for Defence
See below link to the transcript from the debate:
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20100421.xml&Node=H10-3#H10-3
This Blog has lost track of the number of Parliamentary Questions raised in recent times about the Irish Red Cross, there has been that many. It is not a new phenomenon, however, as parliamentary questions have been raised on a regular basis about misgovernance and mismanagement at the Irish Red Cross for the last twenty years. What is interesting in 2010 is the number of times actual verbal exchanges on the Irish Red Cross have taken place in the Dail whereby the Minister has been forced to orally respond to and engage with opposition politicians. This is reflective of the deteriorating situation since December 2009 when the former Chairman, David Andrews and former Secretary General, John Roycroft, both resigned at the same time. Mr. Andrews and Mr. Roycroft were strong advocates of governance reform and both recognised the need for personnel change on the Executive Board and the ending of the invidious influence of two or three long serving members. Their efforts were ferociously resisted as were those of the previous five Secretary Generals, all of whom were fired. Mr. Andrews resigned only nine months into his new three year term and Mr. Roycroft resigned fifteen months early on his contract. These actions alone should have sent off alarm bells at government levels.
The failure to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced Chairperson by the government to replace Mr. Andrews has exacerbated the problem and the Irish Red Cross remains dangerously adrift. It is in many ways becoming a laughing stock within the Irish charity sector as well as within the International Red Cross Movement. The current Acting Chairman (normally Vice Chairman) has been in his position for twenty years and despite calls for his resignation, particularly in light of his failure to declare a bank account which he had signatory control over that had over €150,000 in it collected for victims of the Asian Tsunami in early 2005 and only discovered in an internal audit in late 2008, he refuses to contemplate stepping down and continues to dominate and control all activities of the organisation. The information around the ‘bank account’ is widely known throughout the Irish Red Cross but equally worryingly it is known by the Irish Government and internationally. The reputation of the Irish Red Cross is therefore suffering greatly, even on this issue alone. As one member said in discussions with this Blog ‘the credibility of the Irish Red Cross is suffering on a number of fronts. We have two or three people on our Board who have controlled the organisation for twenty years, and who, despite best governance practice, refuse to step aside. Many members throughout the country are ashamed that the Irish Red Cross is now chaired by someone who failed to declare an organisational bank account for four years until it was discovered during an internal audit. On top of all that we have an Acting Secretary General that was appointed without any recruitment process, with no vacancy advertisement and no interview. He was anointed into the position by the Executive Board’s ruling elite, put there to protect their power base. The Acting Secretary General is a Business Consultant who continues to run and operate his Business Consultancy firm in addition to running and operating a number of family retail businesses in Dublin city. It distresses so many of us that the Irish Red Cross has been reduced to this level and something must be done and done soon to reverse it’.
In the Dail parliamentary debate on 21st April 2010 the Minister stated he could not intervene directly in the affairs of the Irish Red Cross. As has been pointed out to the previous Minister this position is factually incorrect as under the Act that established the Irish Red Cross the Minister is entitled to intervene should he or she deem it necessary. The 1938 Act specifically states:
The Government may by the establishment order make provision in relation to all or any of the following matters, that is to say:-
a) The powers of the Society
b) The organisation of the Society
c) The management and administration of the affairs of the Society by a governing body
d) The finances and accounts of the Society
e) Any other matters in relation to the Society in respect of which it appears to the Government desirable and proper that provision should be made
This Blog is strongly of the view that the Minister must use his powers, as invested in him under the 1938 Act, to intervene directly in the affairs of the Irish Red Cross. This Blog would also like to advise the Minister of the following:
1. The ‘so-called’ Governance Reform Proposals submitted to his Department by the Irish Red Cross Working Group (which was in effect controlled by the current Acting Chairman) are designed in their entirety to ensure the current and discredited ruling elite remain in power for years to come. The Minister must not fall into the trap of accepting these proposals as anything other than an unashamed grab for permanent power. Should the proposals be passed in their current format the Minister and his colleagues will be dealing with a crisis ridden Irish Red Cross for at least another decade.
2. An Independent Investigation into the affairs and running of the Irish Red Cross is now a matter of urgency. It is a national organisation with both a national and international role and the present situation cannot be allowed continue. In addition there is the matter of nearly €1 million of tax payers money that goes into the Irish Red Cross every year.
3. The Minister must be made aware that externally the delay in appointing a credible and reputable Chairperson is generally put down to nobody being interested in taking on the position in such a severely dysfunctional organisation. The longer the delay in appointing the Chair the more reinforced this view becomes and the more the perception that the Irish Red Cross is unsalvageable takes root.
4. Real change will only take place when the two or three Board members who control the organisation with an iron fist are removed from office and when a sufficiently experienced and respected Secretary General is appointed.
5. When the Minister finally appoints the new Chair, and this Blog encourages him to do so immediately, one of the first priorities must be the open advertisement and recruitment of a new Secretary General. As previously written in this Blog the current staffing/industrial relations situation is potentially explosive with a very threatening atmosphere prevailing at Irish Red Cross headquarters.
6. The Minister must not allow the current governance reform proposals proceed. To the untrained eye they may appear a step forward but in reality they will guarantee many more years of the status quo which we all know means crisis, confusion, mismanagement and misgovernance. It is critical that any governance proposals brought forward must include a provision that clearly states all those with more than 12 years on the Executive Board step down immediately and not put themselves forward for the Executive Board again. This Blog understands this would only impact three individuals (who have all served nearly twenty years each) and as such would not in any shape or form impact on continuity or institutional knowledge.
This Blog wishes Minister Killeen success in his new role but it also calls on him to act decisively and with vision in playing his part in rectifying the crisis at the Irish Red Cross
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Rumours of serious industrial relations unrest at Irish Red Cross intensify
In our article of 2nd April 2010 this Blog made reference to rumblings within the organisation of a serious destabilisation of staff/management relations at head quarters. The article reported that problems began before Christmas with the disgraceful treatment and eventual redundancy of the former and highly respected Community Services Officer. The situation has deteriorated ever since with one member telling this blog 'its hard to get exact information but what seems certain is that since December there is an atmosphere of fear and deep mistrust between staff and the Acting Secretary General. This is a matter of serious concern so I just hope members on the Executive Committee are fully aware of what is going on and plan to do something about it before serious and long lasting damage is caused'.
Members with whom this Blog speaks all say that more and more rumours are circulating about a very serious and potentially explosive industrial relations situation brewing at head office. While specific details are hard to come by this Blog understands that the organisation is attempting to make unnecessary and severe reductions in the pension and salary benefits of staff. While not able to confirm, we have reason to believe the matter has been twice referred to the Labour Court with little or no progress made. It would appear that staff are questioning the financial need for the proposed changes and argue that the organisation has mismanaged its finances and staff should not be the ones to pay for this incompetence. They also point out that in 2008 over €300,000 was paid in Consultant/Professional Fees and in 2009 another €300,000 was again paid in Consultant/Professional Fees. In particular it is known that one specific consultant was paid over €150,000 in 2008 and over €160,000 in 2009. Figures for Consultancy fees for 2010 are obviously not yet known but what is known is that somewhere between five and seven consultants are currently engaged by the organisation, all receiving very handsome daily rates. One member reported to this Blog 'I do not understand why staff would be treated so badly and I am very concerned about the situation. I want to know if members of the Executive Committee are making these decisions as a group or whether one or two individuals are driving an agenda that others are kept in the dark about. My own experience of head office staff is that they are a very loyal, committed and hard working bunch of people but the ruling elite seem determined to punish them because of their constant calls for reform of the organisation. This is not acceptable and what is very worrying is how very very afraid everybody seems. Something must be done about this before we are once again the subject of more damaging media publicity but more importantly before the problem gets out of hand'
This Blog is very concerned that an atmosphere of fear and mistrust pervades our head quarters. We as members can only imagine how difficult such a working environment must be. We as members must therefore ensure we are fully informed as to what is really going on. We must contact our Executive Committee members to ascertain the facts and their plans to rectify the matter. We must not be afraid for we have responsibilities to ourselves, the organisation and the staff who so admiringly serve the organisation. As a wise proverb says 'Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is' so we must show courage. Courage of course is not the lack of fear but the ability to face it. We have to recognise there is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyse the causes of what is happening.
We will conclude this Blog article with a quote which we hope will provide encouragement to members around the country who wish to see change in the Irish Red Cross and to head office staff who seem to be going through a most difficult and frightening time.
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. Dont be afraid to go out on a limb. That is where the fruit is.
Members with whom this Blog speaks all say that more and more rumours are circulating about a very serious and potentially explosive industrial relations situation brewing at head office. While specific details are hard to come by this Blog understands that the organisation is attempting to make unnecessary and severe reductions in the pension and salary benefits of staff. While not able to confirm, we have reason to believe the matter has been twice referred to the Labour Court with little or no progress made. It would appear that staff are questioning the financial need for the proposed changes and argue that the organisation has mismanaged its finances and staff should not be the ones to pay for this incompetence. They also point out that in 2008 over €300,000 was paid in Consultant/Professional Fees and in 2009 another €300,000 was again paid in Consultant/Professional Fees. In particular it is known that one specific consultant was paid over €150,000 in 2008 and over €160,000 in 2009. Figures for Consultancy fees for 2010 are obviously not yet known but what is known is that somewhere between five and seven consultants are currently engaged by the organisation, all receiving very handsome daily rates. One member reported to this Blog 'I do not understand why staff would be treated so badly and I am very concerned about the situation. I want to know if members of the Executive Committee are making these decisions as a group or whether one or two individuals are driving an agenda that others are kept in the dark about. My own experience of head office staff is that they are a very loyal, committed and hard working bunch of people but the ruling elite seem determined to punish them because of their constant calls for reform of the organisation. This is not acceptable and what is very worrying is how very very afraid everybody seems. Something must be done about this before we are once again the subject of more damaging media publicity but more importantly before the problem gets out of hand'
This Blog is very concerned that an atmosphere of fear and mistrust pervades our head quarters. We as members can only imagine how difficult such a working environment must be. We as members must therefore ensure we are fully informed as to what is really going on. We must contact our Executive Committee members to ascertain the facts and their plans to rectify the matter. We must not be afraid for we have responsibilities to ourselves, the organisation and the staff who so admiringly serve the organisation. As a wise proverb says 'Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is' so we must show courage. Courage of course is not the lack of fear but the ability to face it. We have to recognise there is nothing to fear except the persistent refusal to find out the truth, the persistent refusal to analyse the causes of what is happening.
We will conclude this Blog article with a quote which we hope will provide encouragement to members around the country who wish to see change in the Irish Red Cross and to head office staff who seem to be going through a most difficult and frightening time.
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. Dont be afraid to go out on a limb. That is where the fruit is.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Irish Red Cross frozen in permanent state of crisis
The Irish Red Cross is in danger of becoming a backward and dated organisation that refuses to change. As a national society it is made up of the most remarkable members, volunteers and staff who dedicate themselves and their spare time to saving lives and helping those less well off, whether in Ireland or overseas. Their contribution to society and humanity is without doubt extraordinary. These people are served, however, by an inept leadership at Executive Committee level and at senior management. The ineptitude amongst certain, and only certain it must be said, Executive Committee members has existed for nearly two decades. It has had a corrosive, damaging and long lasting impact on the welfare of the organisation. Over the years there has been, and even today there continues to be, highly capable and committed people serving on the Executive Committee but they have been silenced and rendered powerless by the very few who comprise the ruling elite. Since the departure of the former Chairman, David Andrews and the previous Secretary General, John Roycroft, the situation has deteriorated rapidly. The sudden exit of these two admirable men before last Christmas allowed the ruling elite, for the first time in many years, achieve a long sought after aim, namely the installation of a Secretary General (albeit Acting) whose sole purpose is to protect them and ensure their continued survival. So long as this secret pact to retain power at all costs remains the primary focus of the ruling elite the Irish Red Cross will never change and will never progress. The fact that the Department of Defence perpetuates the problem by delaying the appointment of a suitably qualified, determined and reforming Chairperson is frustrating and disappointing. The Government must act on this immediately.
This Blog has constantly advocated for change within the Irish Red Cross. As one member recently stated 'We need a change in leadership like we need a good summer...desperately'. The following quote is therefore of relevance and one for Irish Red Cross members to consider 'Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better'.
Irish Red Cross members must not be fearful of change, they must embrace it. We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves, otherwise we decay. Members are the ones responsible for deciding whether the Irish Red Cross changes or not.
Despite the fact that the ruling elite unilaterally decided to cancel the scheduled February Central Council meeting the upcoming one in May/June will go ahead despite the ruling elite's wishes that it did not. It is likely that a number of blunt questions will be asked regarding the undeclared Tipperary Bank account and the Acting Chairman's failure to hand over more than €150,000 of Tsunami money for nearly four years until the undeclared bank account was discovered during an internal audit. If Central Council members carry out their governance duties responsibly they will ask many more questions on a wide range of matters, all of which have been covered extensively in various articles on this blog. Regardless of questions asked though Central Council members will have the legitimate opportunity to effect real and permanent change by voting in a new Vice Chairman as elections for this post (as well as for the full Executive membership) must take place at the May/June Central Council meeting. This Blog would implore the membership to speak with their Central Council representatives as well as engage with the government appointed Central Council representatives and impress upon them the absolute need for change in the make up of the Executive Committee, in particular the replacement of all those on Executive with more than twelve years service (three persons). This Blog believes there are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist or accept responsibility for changing them. Central Council members have a moral and legal duty and responsibility to govern and protect the Irish Red Cross. To do this they must not only embrace change but effect change.
The Irish Red Cross is facing one of the most difficult periods in its seventy year history. Not only do we have an internal crisis but we face real and highly professional competition externally. As Charles Darwin stated 'it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change'. As it presently stands the Irish Red Cross is refusing to change and if this is prolonged we will continue to weaken as a national organisation to the point of irrelevance.
Members, and particularly our elected representatives on Central Council and those appointed to Central Council by the Government, need to be courageous. Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator. And those of us members familiar with the Irish Red Cross know only too well that change has its enemies. People make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. This is the situation within the Irish Red Cross. Progress only occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better. The 6,000 Irish Red Cross members and staff crying out for change can only hope that sooner rather than later skillful leaders either emerge, are elected or are appointed.
On a separate matter:
Authors of this Blog noted with collective bemusement the comment posted after the 11th March article. It read as follows 'Perhaps you could find the tallest bridge in Ireland and jump off it, little bit of advice. Try the M50 that crosses over the Liffey'. The comment was posted anonymously and given the intellectual standard of the posting this is not altogether a surprise.
This Blog has constantly advocated for change within the Irish Red Cross. As one member recently stated 'We need a change in leadership like we need a good summer...desperately'. The following quote is therefore of relevance and one for Irish Red Cross members to consider 'Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better'.
Irish Red Cross members must not be fearful of change, they must embrace it. We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves, otherwise we decay. Members are the ones responsible for deciding whether the Irish Red Cross changes or not.
Despite the fact that the ruling elite unilaterally decided to cancel the scheduled February Central Council meeting the upcoming one in May/June will go ahead despite the ruling elite's wishes that it did not. It is likely that a number of blunt questions will be asked regarding the undeclared Tipperary Bank account and the Acting Chairman's failure to hand over more than €150,000 of Tsunami money for nearly four years until the undeclared bank account was discovered during an internal audit. If Central Council members carry out their governance duties responsibly they will ask many more questions on a wide range of matters, all of which have been covered extensively in various articles on this blog. Regardless of questions asked though Central Council members will have the legitimate opportunity to effect real and permanent change by voting in a new Vice Chairman as elections for this post (as well as for the full Executive membership) must take place at the May/June Central Council meeting. This Blog would implore the membership to speak with their Central Council representatives as well as engage with the government appointed Central Council representatives and impress upon them the absolute need for change in the make up of the Executive Committee, in particular the replacement of all those on Executive with more than twelve years service (three persons). This Blog believes there are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist or accept responsibility for changing them. Central Council members have a moral and legal duty and responsibility to govern and protect the Irish Red Cross. To do this they must not only embrace change but effect change.
The Irish Red Cross is facing one of the most difficult periods in its seventy year history. Not only do we have an internal crisis but we face real and highly professional competition externally. As Charles Darwin stated 'it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change'. As it presently stands the Irish Red Cross is refusing to change and if this is prolonged we will continue to weaken as a national organisation to the point of irrelevance.
Members, and particularly our elected representatives on Central Council and those appointed to Central Council by the Government, need to be courageous. Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator. And those of us members familiar with the Irish Red Cross know only too well that change has its enemies. People make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. This is the situation within the Irish Red Cross. Progress only occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better. The 6,000 Irish Red Cross members and staff crying out for change can only hope that sooner rather than later skillful leaders either emerge, are elected or are appointed.
On a separate matter:
Authors of this Blog noted with collective bemusement the comment posted after the 11th March article. It read as follows 'Perhaps you could find the tallest bridge in Ireland and jump off it, little bit of advice. Try the M50 that crosses over the Liffey'. The comment was posted anonymously and given the intellectual standard of the posting this is not altogether a surprise.
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