Sir, – While The Irish Times has been measured in its reporting of the Irish Cancer Society, other branches of media have engaged yet again in charity-bashing.
The collateral cost of the justifiable highlighting by media outlets of Rehab’s and CRC’s historic excessive wage levels resulted in almost all charities experiencing a downturn in their fundraising. Is this what we want?
We need responsible and balanced reporting of issues that preserves the excellent work done by NGOs and encourages the ongoing generosity of Irish people in supporting them. The media needs to lead the way in pointing out that those who work full-time for charities are not in receipt of reduced-cost groceries or subsidised housing. They have to live like everyone else and often work in charities for very much less than they might earn elsewhere.
The Irish Cancer Society is a €20 million revenue organisation. What would we expect senior managers in a €20 million organisation to earn? There are many of us who work for charities as volunteers without pay, but we cannot use that as some argument that those who are devoting their full-time careers to charities should somehow be expected to live on fresh air or should subsidise the charity out of their remuneration.
Charities and NGOs perform many excellent functions for Irish society and beyond, and we must hope that those organisations continue to attract motivated, high-performing people.
This does not lessen concern for those in receipt of modest amounts from the Irish Cancer Society’s hardship fund. However, I suspect the leadership of that charity came to the same conclusion as many of us – that the Irish Cancer Society does not raise funds to subsidise Ireland’s social welfare system. Social welfare should take up the responsibility of those experiencing hardship as a result of a cancer diagnosis and leave that charity to get on with the many other facets of eliminating cancer.
I hope all value-adding charities will continue to be supported in their contribution to improving Irish society and will be respected by media for so doing. – Yours, etc,
ED DELANY,
Drumree,
Co Meath.