The shame of the shameless

by narcissism - charities, ngos Sat Apr 23, 2011 15:05

Plato

most interesting. Indymedia search HIQA makes worthwhile reading on this topic.

by Plato Sat Apr 23, 2011 09:13

The growth of "charities" can be measured against how right wing a country moves regarding fiscal policy. During the last government , that was dominated by PD "everyman for himself" ideology,( Desmond O'Malley has much to answer for), we saw a new "charity" created almost daily. Philantropy was the new buzz word and filled the coffee docks in fashionable parts of town. Mary Harney's husband became a champion to the cause and set up a foundation to nurture this new found "charity" among the chosen. ( We should have smelt a rat immediately) What we did not see of course was that the instigators became wealthy and drew down huge salaries for thier "efforts". Rehab is but the tip of the iceberg, just get a list of your favourite "charties " and then ask how much is the CEO and the other management members being paid. The answer will anger most people.
For example, during this period we saw the growth of private housing associations in Ireland, encouraged by a government hell bent on out-sourcing all vital services to create money making opportunities for themselves and their friends. Again these so called "not for profit" organisations are paying senior managers huge salaries, salaries that are paid for from the rent of the most vulnerable in our scoiety, their tenants. After the last election in Britain it was revealed that one of the heads of such a private housing association was on a "salary" of close to half a million euro when all pay and perks are included.
What we should do is refuse to make any donation to a "charity" unless it is run totally on a voluntary basis.

by Christy Brown - Inner City Justice Thu Apr 21, 2011 21:09

One year ago today I was asked by a friend to attend a penal reform meeting in the inner city. Sorry - let me rephrase - the Gresham Hotel. My old bud said to me Christy I do believe this crowd are a non profit organisation and doing some good work in relation to the conditions that people are in at Mountjoy and other prisons across Ireland. When I arrived in, in my ordinary cacks and tee shirt, runners and I could feel the eyes on me for at least or let's say it felt like for half an hour. I would say I was the only ex-prisoner there and not forgetting my crime was a bank loan some years ago which I couldn't pay off and did 28 days for non payment. I learned a lot at that time and felt when I was released I would try and help people like me who should not be in prison for a debt of a couple of grand. I sat back in the Gresham hotel and didn't identify with anybody or anybody who talked with the mike in their hand. It was like a bankers Christmas party. They all were clapping each other on the back in relation to foreign holidays, which private school little johnnie was attending and one woman sitting beside me asked me was I an author or a lecturer in casual gear. I recall the look on her face when I said I was unemployed and from Finglas.

A geezer called Herrick was hosting this fashion show and I tried on a few occasions to get to speak but to no avail. It is one day I will never forget because I felt like shit and yet they were having the seminar to help people like me but more importantly to help people who were that day slopping out in the stench of piss and vomit on the landings of the Joy and other shit holes where ordinary people are locked up for petty crimes. I later did some research into penal reform trust and could not believe that not one prisoner is on any board, any sub-board or even I believe they don't interview prisoners for feedback at all. I often wonder how these people find out anything that is going on behind the Walls but yet they produce brochure after brochure about what should be done. One year on I was visiting a friend of mine and we did some looking and found out that 95% of prisoners don't even know that penal reform trust exists. Who funds these people - some say it is Chuck Feeney - Atlantic Phil. Some also say it is headless donors who give out a donation and get it back on the double against their taxes. What I do know is that three of the people on the pay panel of this trust are drawing down large salaries, expenses and even bonuses annually. Yet the conditions in our jails are worse now than 30 years ago so if this isn't shameless - what can we say?

Christy

by Sweet Charity - Charities, NGOs and Aid Thu Apr 21, 2011 16:37

Liam Flannery is right to highlight this outrageous alleged payment of public finances to a woman working for people with disabilities.

The country is awash with charities and no transparency, ethics, accountability. The web has distinct advantages but not when it acts as a motivator to pay donations and exploit people and their needs at the same time. Think of a vulnerability category e.g. suicide and there are now a host of websites and you will note on each of them the prominence of the word 'donation' and details. What about humanity and contact with no cost? Where is value in this society i.e. is the value that is not related to financial costing.

Is there a gravy train in motion on this Island of Ireland. Perhaps we have learned same from our EU masters?

Our world today is facing massive social and political upheaval. Aid is destined to places like Libya, to Nigeria, to the Ivory Coast not forgetting Haiti and even Japan. There is an international community relating to this aid: in our case, the EU external aid budget that amounts to euros 12 billion p.a.

You might find it interesting to note that a UK think tank have found that the EU's aid budget suffers from 'poor accountability, un-necessary bureaucracy, and most critically, less than half the money spent actually goes to the world's poorest people'.

What this is saying to people is that we need to question more; be not afraid to ask for value for money exercises and seek transparency and accountability at each tier of the charity chain. Ireland can benefit from this UK research and also can question the efficiency of the EU and its auspices to ensure we are receiving a fair deal for what we contribute to this fund for external aid.

We are in a tight space now economically, socially, politically and we need to get VALUE FOR MONEY FOR OUR AID SPENDING both in the context of EU external aid and most particularly on the home front. Corruption is insideous and we must stamp it out for a more equal society.

Sweet Charity!!

by Liam Flannery - Justice Sun Apr 17, 2011 21:14

Yes I read the Times and I read the Phoenix. Angela Kerins is under investigation at Rehab for the past 7 years. She is a senior member of the FF in Navan along with her husband. Kerins is approximately on 500,000 euros annually on the backs of vulnerable people who suffer from various disabilities. Kerins is also a close friend of close former chief of FAS Roddy Molloy. If you go back three years, Frank Connolly wrote an article in the Village magazine that 3.5 m. was missing at the NDA where Kerin was CEO/Chairman and then left. At that time Connolly asked some serious questions as to where were the Fraud Squad in relation to missing millions. Nothing happened because at that time FF mafiosa could not allow the scandal to break. I am quoting exactly from the Village magazine. Now I see Hawkeye in the Phoenix really on her heals and also on Drogheda radio last week there were nearly 150 people ringing in who aired deep grievances in relation to their children with disabilities working in damp warehouses for Rehab but in actual fact they were being used as slave labour for the likes of corporates like Smurfits etc. packing boxes. I would like Joe Higgins and the United Left Alliance to raise this matter in the Dail at every opportunity they get.

Again I ask the question - how can Kerins give herself a salary twice that of an American president and state it is a non profit organisation...this must be cleaned up urgently. I plead with parents out there tonight who have children with disabilities to have their voices heard. This Kerins woman also received in the last 3 years 50 million from FAS now here surely we should raise questions. I got this information directly from the Irish Times. I also believe Claire Daly TD has written a personal letter to Enda Kenny demanding to know how this woman is an untouchable in the current climate of recession and depression.

Liam Flannery

by Double Dipping - Wealth distribution Sat Apr 16, 2011 17:44

The Phoenix in a recent edition profiled Ms. Angela Kerins.

Some postings above refer to what can only be called a 'milking' of the system by a cache of new elites born mainly from the Celtic Tiger era.

Does anyone really understand how people heading up certain organisations are paid such inordinate amounts of money and perks with massive contributions to pension funds while others deemed the 'great unwashed' by these new elites have not
benefited from the Tiger in any way apart from debt going forward to the present children of the Nation.

People voted for a change of government and rightly so. But now, this Government in their 100 day Think Tank must prove to the people that they will align themselves to the Austerity Programme to be enforced on a quarterly basis by the IMF-EU group. This must be done in line with a void in the moral bankruptcy both displayed and implemented by the last government coalition and for that matter let us include the PD's.

We know we must combat the corruption that has inveigled itself through our professions, our accountancy bodies, our government representatives, through our banking system, through our company directors and our semi state organisations right down and into the black economy that has started to grow presently.

We need example. The posting above cites Michael Noonan as an example but as another poster quite rightly says, he has sufficient pensions, salary, perks to make such a gesture to charities (bearing in mind that tax benefit allowances apply to donations to charities).

Today the Irish Times reveals that Dr. Reilly (former president of the Irish Medical Organisation) disposed of interests he held in the health sector on being appointed to the post of Minister of Health earlier this year. This is about transparency and beckons exemplary behaviour or so we hope. The media recently including the Phoenix have brought to our attention the Rehab Chief Angela Kerins . By choosing not to declare her salary, reports of ever increasing amounts were reported up to approx euros 600,000. The media counts thankfully because as the article by Colm Keena states in the Irish Times 16th April 2011, Ms. Kerins the Chief Executive of a disability organisation earns a salary of euros 234,000 and that she will not receive a bonus payment. What it does not tell us is what she was paid last year, the bonus payment, the pension entitlements etc and how she is represented on other state boards and income derived from same. These were FF appointments. She is a former Chairperson of the National Disability Authority - again an adviser to the government and linked to people with disabilties.

There was a time that charities, disabilities inferred a kind of 'gift - talent sharing' mindedness. Celtic Tiger Ireland seems to have blown this concept sky high into that of those who work for charities being celeb stars who merit fat salaries, media coverage, bonuses etc. etc. When does this 'facebooking' of these celebrities stop. We have charity after charity being set up relating to depression, suicide, cancer, etc. and the first question when you enter the website is 'Donate'. Who is really watching out for these newly created 'social spaces' and websites on the internet?

It is good to give to charity but if you refer to the article about Rehab today and Ms. Kerins and ask the question: Yes, in 3 years she created '500 sustainable jobs' for people with and without disabilities and developed thousands of services for thousands of people and had increased turnover by 17%'. To me, trying to get through the mesh of NDA, MHC, Rehab, FAS, HSE is about being labelled and categorised into a box of 'No Reply'. The fact is to be disabled in this country is to fall into the category of lower than low pay and no advocacy. The health related places like Rehab are about tokenism to those of us labelled disabled.

Double Dip - this is what they call in the US taking more than one pension and it should not be allowed.

by nmn - newsmedia Thu Dec 30, 2010 19:02

Please - let's not talk about begrudgery here. That is not the issue. The issue is those who have and continue to abuse their elected positions of trust and authority.

Over & Out.

by chidren_of_lir Wed Dec 29, 2010 07:55

Leading by example doesn't apply to these "retirees."

http://www.tribune.ie/news/article/2010/dec/19/golden-h...paye/

http://ireland.world-countries.net/archives/70060

http://irishexaminer.com/ireland/four-fine-gael-tds-sti....html

"Fine Gael put forward a bill in the Dáil last May calling for the payment of ministerial pensions to members of the Oireachtas to be stopped "with immediate effect".

The bill, which was voted down by Fianna Fáil, would have shown political leadership, according to Fine Gael, who said it made the Dáil look like "a self-absorbed system that does not seem to be in touch with the problems facing ordinary people". "

by V for vendetta Wed Dec 29, 2010 04:41

This is a trick. It avoids having to officially give up the pension. then whenever it all blows over he can just cancel the standing order and stick his snout back in the trough again.

It is not for michael noonan to decide how this taxpayer money gets spent. It is for the taxpayer. Cancel the pensions there is no other way. The taxpayer should not swallow this gombeen fudge

by chidren_of_lir Wed Dec 29, 2010 03:47

Why should they get a pension if they haven't retired? Bulls......t donating to charity.

Irtish citizens have a right to demand accountability from their FG health ministers.

Noonan had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing over the Bridget McCole tragedy. Noonan threatened to take Bridget's mother Ellen to the Supreme Court for merely asking questions about how her daughter got Hepatitis C virus. Ellen standing up to Noonan probably saved many lives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Noonan

"In 1994 the 'Rainbow Coalition' was formed and Noonan became Minister for Health. The department was embroiled in a scandal at the time regarding blood products contaminated with Hepatitis C virus, caused by the negligence of the Blood Transfusion Service Board. Noonan consistently held an authoritarian line on the case of Bridget McCole and would not budge on his views, suffering as a result of the scandal.[4][5][6] He threatened to take Bridget's mother Ellen to the Supreme Court when she wondered why her daughter had contracted the disease. Noonan was forced to establish the Hepatitis C Tribunal of Inquiry and to issue several apologies for his handling of the affair.[3] Noonan remained as Minister until the 1997 election election. The Irish Times said "the woman involved had been infected by a negligent State agency, in the biggest health scandal since its foundation."[7]"

Enough of this jetsetting lifestyle by FF's obese health minister Mary ("Bloody") Harney while the people starve in the streets. "Bloody" Mary should resign as health minister simply for being so obese. She's not a proper role model for health.

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2010/sep/2...-a-f/

by thered7000 Tue Dec 28, 2010 21:42

Im sorry, but I completely oppose such bitter begrudgery that is reflected in the above posting. There seems to be a vilification of wealth here. I am on the dole at the moment, I am facing difficulties with rent etc, but I cannot see the point in whinging because certain citizens of this country have established themselves in life. It is, after, all, everybody's goal in life.
I would suggest you guys stop with this unseemly resentment of those who are not in dire straits. Michael Noonan did not cause this country to be in the mess it's in, and this begrudgery is frankly embarrassing, and serves no purpose.

KOF