Sir, – The Skinnader clans in Monaghan commend The Irish Times for the recent coverage of our distant relative, Margaret Skinnider (Front page and Supplement, January 17th), whom we claim as our own in the absence of any accurate records to confirm lineage. Having been refused a pension, she is most likely "turning in her grave", given the present CRC pension debacle; and even though she finally received a pension, it wasn't as easy a process for her as it was for Paul Kiely.
This is not the type of society she fought for; “Give the money back”, I hear her say. – Yours, etc,
PAUL SKINNADER,
Burnside Road,
Ramelton, Co Donegal.
A chara, – I have been following the story of the CRC and the top-ups for its executives.
I am the mother of a severely disabled man who has been bed-bound for the past year partly because there is no money to purchase a new wheelchair for him. He is on an emergency list for a wheelchair, but we are told that due to lack of funds he will have to wait.
I feel sick I am so upset. – Is mise,
ANNE RYNNE,
Miltown Malbay, Co Clare.
Sir, – Here is an irony that anyone thinking of donating to the Central Remedial Clinic might care to consider: There was probably never a safer time to do so and be sure that the money would go where intended! – Yours, etc,
MJ ROSS-MacDONALD,
Birr, Offaly.
Sir, – Perhaps a spokesman for the Government would explain why it is the HSE that is conducting an investigation into the goings-on in the CRC.
Surely the CRC (and similar bodies) would not be necessary were the services it provides made available by the State/HSE in the first instance.
As a closely related party, the HSE should have no function in conducting an inquiry into the CRC: its antics to date in drip-feeding information at stages when it would gain maximum media exposure is not an ethical or effective way of going about an investigation into a very sensitive matter of huge concern to CRC patients and donors alike.
The investigation should be entrusted to an independent investigator/forensic accountant appointed by the Government, who would be charged with bringing it to a conclusion within very tight timelines.
This would at least contain as far as possible the damage to the charity sector which will only be exacerbated if the HSE is allowed carry on as it has to date – with what must be in its eyes a most welcome deflection from its own shortcomings in the provision of a decent health service. – Yours, etc,
JOE SINGLETON,
St Peter’s Place,
Arklow, Co Wicklow.
A chara, – There is little reference to the elephant in the room when it comes to all the current depressing CRC revelations. That elephant in the room is the Fianna Fáil party. As stated in The Irish Times (Health, November 29th), a number of CRC board members were associated with Bertie Ahern and indeed Paul Kiely was a key member of Ahern's "Drumcondra Mafia". The ongoing revelations concerning the CRC should be a prompt reminder to all: we are still paying for what Fianna Fáil's "cute hoor" politics did and is still doing to this country. Lest we forget and all that. – Is mise,
EF FANNING,
Whitehall Road,
Churchtown, Dublin 14.
Sir, – While I wouldn’t touch Fianna Fáil with a 10-foot pole (or polling card), Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s suggestion that the appalling revelations of the Central Remedial Clinic’s mismanagement of both charitable and public funds are somehow “indicative of a time in Irish politics” that he hoped was long gone” (Home News, January 17th) strikes me as an utter nonsense, seeing that former CEO Paul Kiely resigned in July of last year, and his successor Brian Conlan only last month. The entire travesty beggars belief, if not satire, and Jonathan Swift must be spinning in his grave. – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY GLAVIN
Iveragh Road, Dublin 9.
Sir, – Lady Valerie Goulding must be spinning in her grave. – Yours, etc,
TERRY MOYLAN,
Bluebell Road, Dublin 12.
Sir, – There is no evidence of an independent review and approval process at the Central Remedial Clinic in the determination of the outrageous scale of remuneration, termination and pension arrangements with its former chief executive, or the source of cash to pay these, contrary to basic standards of acceptable institutional governance.
American public charities and private foundations must provide, through Form 990, detailed information about their governance, income and expenses to the Internal Revenue Service in order to maintain tax-exempt status. This information is published on the website of each filing charity and is relied on by some donors and some members of the public as the primary, or sole source, of credible information about a particular charity. Should Irish charities be obliged follow a similar procedure with the Revenue Commissioners and publish tax returns?
The Irish not-for-profit sector claims annual revenues of the order of €5.7 billion, of which 65 per cent is spent on salaries, according to remarks made by Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan in July 2012. Only an estimated €500 million of this revenue was provided through public donations and philanthropy at that time and the bulk of this was from two private foundations, one of which has ceased operations. The State has an overwhelming responsibility to demand high standards of governance from those obtaining taxpayers’ money, as well as donations from the public.
The capacity of the charity sector to redeem public trust, reputation and public voluntary donations will be hugely influenced by their credibility and integrity, expressed through the calibre, competence and independence of their leadership and the standard of transparency and accountability to which they subscribe. – Yours, etc,
MYLES DUFFY,
Bellevue Avenue,
Glenageary, Co Dublin.