Irish charity chief sparks US walkout
September 11, 2005
Richard Oakley and Dearbhail McDonald
TWO members of the American board of Goal, the humanitarian agency, have walked out in protest at outspoken criticism by the charity’s director of Irish government plans to give €1m in aid to New Orleans.
Niall O’Dowd, the founder of Irish America Magazine and the Irish Voice newspaper, handed in his notice of resignation last week. Declan Kelly, a highly influential Irish American businessman, is also understood to have stepped down from the American board.
Sources close to O’Dowd confirmed he had left the organisation, but said he did not want to comment on the matter. Neither Kelly nor John O’Shea, the charity’s director, could be reached.
“Niall has the greatest respect for Goal and he doesn’t want to exacerbate tensions any further. He has therefore decided not to make any comment,” said a family friend.
In an outspoken interview last week, O’Shea dismissed moves to send Irish troops to the American city as “ludicrous” and argued that the country did not need Irish money because it was “awash with millionaires”.
He criticised a government decision to pledge €1m to the victims of the hurricane and said Ireland “may as well have have collected funds for Bill Gates”. “It’s one of the most disgusting things if the minister gives this money,” he said.
The high-profile humanitarian worker criticised the plan to send army troops to New Orleans, referring to army volunteers as “boy scouts”.
O’Shea complained that he and others had urged successive Irish governments for 20 years to provide protection to Irish doctors and nurses whose lives were at risk in places such as the Congo and northern Uganda but had drawn a blank.
“I am told we haven’t got the Army officers to do this job, yet out of nowhere we find that 30 or 50 or 100 are available,” he said. “You are talking about the most sophisticated, best-equipped army on the planet (the US Army) and we are the Boy Scouts, if you like, going into the Battle of the Somme. So let’s be realistic.
“Of course we have to identify with the situation. Of course we have to let the people of America know, as we did (after the events of September 11, 2001), but the way we are going about it is ludicrous and it sets a very dangerous precedent.
His comments followed the pledging of an initial €1m to those most in need in America through the Red Cross and community-based organisations in Louisiana.
Dermot Ahern, the foreign minister, confirmed that the Irish Republic would also provide aid through the European Union. O’Shea said that, while the government’s move was well intentioned, the United States was awash with billionaires. “They do not need our money,” he told RTE’s Morning Ireland.
“They certainly need words of support and they perhaps need our ministers on the ground to identify with the situation but this was just the wrong call. I can understand where the government is coming from. They wanted to do something. It is right that they wanted to do something but this is just the wrong thing.”
He later apologised for some, but not all, of his comments in a letter to The Irish Times published on Thursday.
He said he inadvertently used the term “boy scouts to the Somme” while attempting to make an analogy.
“In the context, I was referring to the enormity of the disaster as opposed to any lack of effectiveness of the Army, which I hold in the highest regard. This term was hugely inappropriate and I realise could have cause offence to Army personnel. None was intended.”
“If the government believes that Army personnel can assist in the rehabilitation effort in New Orleans, my colleagues and I wish them every success.
“We know they will do a good job. The Irish people, and the Irish government, must identify and empathise with the plight of the suffering people of New Orleans and surrounding areas,” he said.
Link Here
Richard Oakley and Dearbhail McDonald
TWO members of the American board of Goal, the humanitarian agency, have walked out in protest at outspoken criticism by the charity’s director of Irish government plans to give €1m in aid to New Orleans.
Niall O’Dowd, the founder of Irish America Magazine and the Irish Voice newspaper, handed in his notice of resignation last week. Declan Kelly, a highly influential Irish American businessman, is also understood to have stepped down from the American board.
Sources close to O’Dowd confirmed he had left the organisation, but said he did not want to comment on the matter. Neither Kelly nor John O’Shea, the charity’s director, could be reached.
“Niall has the greatest respect for Goal and he doesn’t want to exacerbate tensions any further. He has therefore decided not to make any comment,” said a family friend.
In an outspoken interview last week, O’Shea dismissed moves to send Irish troops to the American city as “ludicrous” and argued that the country did not need Irish money because it was “awash with millionaires”.
He criticised a government decision to pledge €1m to the victims of the hurricane and said Ireland “may as well have have collected funds for Bill Gates”. “It’s one of the most disgusting things if the minister gives this money,” he said.
The high-profile humanitarian worker criticised the plan to send army troops to New Orleans, referring to army volunteers as “boy scouts”.
O’Shea complained that he and others had urged successive Irish governments for 20 years to provide protection to Irish doctors and nurses whose lives were at risk in places such as the Congo and northern Uganda but had drawn a blank.
“I am told we haven’t got the Army officers to do this job, yet out of nowhere we find that 30 or 50 or 100 are available,” he said. “You are talking about the most sophisticated, best-equipped army on the planet (the US Army) and we are the Boy Scouts, if you like, going into the Battle of the Somme. So let’s be realistic.
“Of course we have to identify with the situation. Of course we have to let the people of America know, as we did (after the events of September 11, 2001), but the way we are going about it is ludicrous and it sets a very dangerous precedent.
His comments followed the pledging of an initial €1m to those most in need in America through the Red Cross and community-based organisations in Louisiana.
Dermot Ahern, the foreign minister, confirmed that the Irish Republic would also provide aid through the European Union. O’Shea said that, while the government’s move was well intentioned, the United States was awash with billionaires. “They do not need our money,” he told RTE’s Morning Ireland.
“They certainly need words of support and they perhaps need our ministers on the ground to identify with the situation but this was just the wrong call. I can understand where the government is coming from. They wanted to do something. It is right that they wanted to do something but this is just the wrong thing.”
He later apologised for some, but not all, of his comments in a letter to The Irish Times published on Thursday.
He said he inadvertently used the term “boy scouts to the Somme” while attempting to make an analogy.
“In the context, I was referring to the enormity of the disaster as opposed to any lack of effectiveness of the Army, which I hold in the highest regard. This term was hugely inappropriate and I realise could have cause offence to Army personnel. None was intended.”
“If the government believes that Army personnel can assist in the rehabilitation effort in New Orleans, my colleagues and I wish them every success.
“We know they will do a good job. The Irish people, and the Irish government, must identify and empathise with the plight of the suffering people of New Orleans and surrounding areas,” he said.
Link Here
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