Verwoerd dismissal justified, says Unicef

UNICEF IRELAND has said it dismissed its executive director Melanie Verwoerd because it could not agree with her about the future direction of the charity.

In its first statement since Ms Verwoerd’s sacking was made public at the weekend, the charity denied dismissing her arbitrarily or by e-mail and said the decision was taken unanimously by the board. The statement comes as one of Unicef’s most high-profile goodwill ambassadors, Liam Neeson, pulled out of a trip to Mozambique in protest at her sacking.

Neeson and fellow actor Vanessa Redgrave, the mother of his late wife, Natasha Richardson, and also a Unicef goodwill ambassador, said Ms Verwoerd’s dismissal was a “profoundly damaging loss” to the charity.

The Unicef Ireland statement, which was issued after Neeson’s announcement, made no reference to the media interest in Ms Verwoerd’s relationship with the late broadcaster Gerry Ryan, which she maintains is the only reason for her dismissal. It said she had attended meetings with the full board of Unicef Ireland and then with its chairman, Paul Connolly, and PJ Mara, a director, over her future at the organisation, but there remained a “significant impasse” between the two sides.

“The board decided that the differences could not be resolved and, acting in the interests of the organisation as a whole and, most importantly, its mission, it decided unanimously to end her contract.”

She was given two years’ salary by way of settlement and the cheque has been cashed, the statement added. It said the charity was “bigger than one person” and apologised for the manner in which the story became public. The charity said it respected the stance taken by Neeson and Redgrave, and it also confirmed that actor Sir Roger Moore had expressed his displeasure at the sacking of Ms Verwoerd.

Last night, Ms Verwoerd said there were a “number of inaccuracies and untruths in the statement” and added: “I will be responding in due course to show these inaccuracies.” She confirmed she would be taking an action against Unicef Ireland at the Employment Appeals Tribunal. The charity said it would defend any such action.