asked the Minister for Labour (a) whether in relation to Gaisce, the President's Award, a professional fund-raising company have been engaged; (b) the name of the company; (c) where the company are based; (d) whether the company are engaged on a permanent basis or on a consultancy basis; and (e) the yearly cost involved.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - President's Award.
7.
It was a condition of the establishment of Gaisce, the President's Award, that it would be financed mainly from private or business sources. The arrangements for the necessary fund-raising from the private sector are the sole responsibility of the ad hoc committee which is administering the award. I am not, therefore, in a position to provide the detailed information requested by the Deputy.
I suggest that this is simply not good enough. This is not a statutory body. By the Minister of State's own statement, it is an ad hoc committee, therefore it has no particular status. In that situation does the Minister think it legitimate of him to try to deny the House this knowledge? The ad hoc committee have no particular standing or responsibility to this House and it is completely unacceptable that the Minister of State should try to hide behind them and not give us the information which was sought in Deputy Geoghegan-Quinn's question. Has a professional fund-raising company been engaged, and if so, what is their name? That is information to which the House is entitled.
The Deputy is getting a little carried away. It was the hope of all sides of this House that that money would come from the private sector and that the State's role would be simply one of seed capital, if you like. The detail of that collection method is a matter for those who will be approaching their colleagues, selling to them the value and worth of the scheme. If it is of particular significance, I understand, that in approaching that task the view was taken that it would be advisable to seek professional assistance. On that basis a company have been approached to advise on the structure and strategy for fund raising, but I understand that is on a strictly limited basis.
I take it that a professional firm of fund-raisers have been employed. Does the Minister of State think it seemly or appropriate that this scheme, which will be concerned with young people and their endeavours, largely of a voluntary nature, should be at this early stage committed to the tender mercies of professional fund-raisers? Does he not think this a totally unsuitable and inappropriate procedure? Will he not take immediate steps to have this matter put right and have the professional fund-raisers removed from the scene? What purpose does that ad hoc committee serve if it is only to employ a professional fund-raising company?
The situation is, and has been for many years, that there was a desire to see a scheme of this nature established. Following the practice of many other countries, it was hoped that it would serve as a mechanism through which the private sector would invest funds on a substantial basis in the youth service. One of the main reasons for the strategy of asking a group of people to work on an ad hoc basis was so that they could pursue the whole question of the viability of fund-raising. That has been a concern of successive Governments and successive individuals who have held the office that I now hold. In fulfilling that task they not unnaturally regard it as helpful to have professional assistance. As I understand it, their intention is that professional assistance would be required simply on the basis of advising on the approach to be taken towards the strategy and the structures that will be required for continued fund-raising. It is a tribute to those involved that their efforts to date, I understand, have met with some considerable success. I would like to think that the debate in this House, and in particular the approach taken by the Leader of the Opposition, would not in any sense impede their activities, although I have to warn that I think there is every danger that it might.
Is the Minister of State suggesting that the people on this ad hoc committee, whom he has described and advocated to us as business people of great experience and with great connections, who will be able to raise the funds by their very presence on the ad hoc committee, now can do nothing but bring in some firm of professional fund-raisers to do the job that, even by the Minister's standards, they were supposed to do? Does he not think that in this whole area where young people and their endeavours and efforts are involved, there is something entirely inappropriate and unseemly in bringing in professional fund-raisers? Would he tell me one thing about these professional fund-raisers — are they an Irish firm of consultants or are they foreign based?
Let the Minister name them. Who are they?
The company involved are called Donors International which I believe to be an Irish subsidiary of a British company. I may stand corrected on this company's status.
Does the Minister of State not think it utterly outrageous that an Irish scheme called Gaisce, under the patronage of the President of Ireland, to make awards to young people of this country who distinguish themselves by their endeavours and efforts, should now be handled by a foreign public relations fund raising company? Is he prepared to stand over this decision or will he not take immediate action to have this whole charade brought to an end?
I hope that the Leader of the Opposition will not take it amiss when I say that some of his present difficulties in the opinion polls relate to this tendency to speak before thinking. When he gets an opportunity to think about those ill-considered remarks, he will want to reflect further. This is a perfectly simple matter. All sides of the House are anxious that this scheme should be funded on a long term, continuing basis by the private sector. They are anxious because the belief is that the status of the reward and its structures should be such that it will provide an attractive prospect for those with substantial funds to invest and that, in particular, it will attract those who might not have been attracted by any of the existing organisations. In order to secure that, it seems necessary to approach people on a professional basis. As to the company that have been involved, I know little of the details except that in my work as Minister of State dealing with community groups all over the country I have come across this same group fulfilling a similar role.
We must move on.
I have one question.
One short question.
Is it appropriate that private individuals should be requested by the Government to run a public scheme in the name of the President of the country?
This matter long pre-dates the period in office of this Government. It has been the view of successive administrations, stretching back to four or five general elections, that what is required is a partnership between the State and the private sector whereby the integrity and status of the scheme will be attested to by the involvement of leaders of the State at the highest level and that the private sector would show their interest, support and commitment by putting their money up front. It is to that task that the ad hoc committee are now addressing themselves. I must repeat that this sort of discussion is not making their task any easier. If the Leader of the Opposition had any interest in this scheme——
I started this scheme.
——other than an anxiety to sabotage anything that he is not in a position to carry through, what he would have done would have been to avail of the offer made to him by the Taoiseach to be involved in consultation.
I resent that remark. I started the scheme and my questions arise from my indignation at the shabby way in which the scheme is now being allowed to develop. The Minister of State knows that I am right.