Brian O'Shea
Question:19 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Minister for Defence his views on whether the Irish Red Cross Society should be fully independent of Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23666/10]
View answerWednesday, 2 June 2010
Questions (6)
Oral answers (5 contributions)
The Irish Red Cross Society is an autonomous body, established by the Irish Red Cross Society Order 1939 pursuant to the Red Cross Act 1938. The society is an independent charitable organisation with full powers to manage and administer its affairs through its governing body, the central council. Membership of the council is by way of appointment by the Government or by election in accordance with the rules of the society.
The order establishing the society sets out its primary objects and powers which include acting as a voluntary aid society in times of war or peace. The Act of 1938 permits payment to the society of funds by way of grant. The society has certain rights arising from the Geneva Convention. Under the convention, the Government is required to discharge certain obligations to the society including: ensuring the independence of the society; protecting the emblem; and allowing it access to prisoners of war. The Geneva Convention is given effect in Irish law through the Red Cross Act 1954, the Prisoners of War and Enemy Aliens Act 1956 and the Geneva Conventions Act 1962, as amended in 1998. National societies, while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their Government and subject to the laws of their respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance with the principles of the international Red Cross movement.
On 18 May 2010 I met with the vice chairman and secretary general of the society who explained to me the intended changes to the manner in which it is organised. The changes are intended to implement a better governance structure and confirm the society's independence from Government. I support its aims in this regard as set out in the report of the working group on governance. This will require substantial amendments to the Irish Red Cross Society Order 1939. Officials from the Department of Defence and the society are due to meet shortly to agree the specific changes required to the 1939 order.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I am pleased to hear of his recent meeting with the Irish Red Cross Society. Does he not agree that the primary legislation was introduced in a period when war was imminent and there were different forces at play in terms of the role the society might play? This was a time when there was a general concern about invasions, bombings and so on. In regard to independence, the council of the Irish Red Cross has 42 members, 16 of whom are nominated by the Minister. The chairman is also nominated by the Minister and the fact that there has been no chairman in place since December is causing major problems. What concerns me is the adverse publicity that continues to emanate, albeit the most recent I saw was on a blog. There is a need for this to cease and for nomination of the 16 members and chairman of the council to pass from the Minister. I would like if the Minister could elaborate on the proposals put to him by the members of the Irish Red Cross with whom he met on 18 May.
Deputy O'Shea stated that primary legislation may be required. While this may be the case at some point in the future, particularly bearing in mind the Deputy's points regarding adverse publicity in respect of the Irish Red Cross and the impact this is likely to have, which cannot be positive, I am disposed to making the changes that can be made fairly quickly. Following my meeting with the vice-chairman and acting chief executive officer, I believe that the commitment of the Irish Red Cross is beyond question in terms of delivering on its mandate. I believe the obligation on Government to allow the Irish Red Cross to operate independently is a major consideration and must be respected. Notwithstanding this, as the Deputy stated, the Government has the right to nominate approximately one third of the members of the council, namely, 14 of the 42 members. Often, the number of appointments exceeds 14. The Deputy also referred to the need to appoint a chairman, a matter I hope to dispose of in the next few weeks. This will be an important element in moving the Irish Red Cross forward. We all share the aspiration that it be allowed to operate with the maximum possible level of credibility.
Can I take it that the Minister has in mind a definite person for the position of chairman, the urgency of which appointment the Minister obviously accepts? The Minister has not dealt with the issue of whether it serves the independence of the Irish Red Cross that 16 of the 42 members on the council are appointed by Government. Perhaps also he will address my question in regard to the proposals put to him from the acting chief executive officer and vice-president. What will be the composition of the council under those proposals?
I do not recollect any issue being raised or any difficulty being expressed in regard to the composition of the board and the fact that the Government nominates one third of its members. There are a number of recommendations, one of which pertains to the manner, for example, in which the chairman will be appointed. This process is likely to take some time and is one of the reasons for the delay in replacing the former chairman. It may well be that the appropriate way to deal with this would be to appoint an interim chairman pending completion of at least the first phase of what is required in terms of allowing the Irish Red Cross to move towards independence.
I am aware of the adverse publicity which the Irish Red Cross has unfortunately attracted. We need to take action but to do so carefully to ensure we overcome that difficulty.