Reports of "unrest and low morale" among staff at the headquarters of the Irish Red Cross have dismayed the general public, the Fine Gael spokeswoman on defence has said.
During the adjournment debate in the Dail last night, Ms Frances Fitzgerald called for "an independent inquiry into the running of the Irish Red Cross with appropriate independent people from the world of finance and management". This would result in recommendations on how the organisation should be run.
She said the suggestion from staff members that the organisation was slow in releasing funds raised for emergencies was "extremely serious" and necessitated "urgent investigation".
A spokesman for the Irish Red Cross had earlier said that "everyone agrees we need to streamline operations to get funds to the people who need it most as quickly as possible".
Ms Fitzgerald said: "The people of Ireland who generously donated over £3 million to the Red Cross this year alone for its Kosovo and Turkey appeals have been left without answers."
The Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, told the Dail he was confident the problems in the society would be "adequately addressed" within the terms of the strategic review being undertaken by the secretary general. He said he did not get involved in the day-today running of the affairs of the society.
Earlier, SIPTU staff representatives at the Red Cross issued a statement saying they "were flabbergasted to hear the Taoiseach and the Minister for Defence deny any responsibility for the behaviour of their nominees on the society's central council.
