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Goal chief attacks Irish govt on millions sent to agency accused of corruption

Published Thursday, January 27, 2011, 10:07 AM

Updated Thursday, January 27, 2011, 10:07 AM

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Goal CEO John O’Shea

Photo by SPORTSFILE George Doyle

Goal CEO John O’Shea is strongly advocating that the Irish government follow the example of its German and Swedish counterparts, and suspend contributions to the Global Fund against Aids, TB and Malaria.

Mr O’Shea was reacting to reports that billions of dollars may have been lost to corrupt officials in the developing world through poor accounting on the part of the Global Fund.

The Irish government has thus far contributed over €115 million to the fund – in 2008, its annual contributions were raised to €25 million. Both Germany and Sweden have suspended their respective annual contributions of €200 million and €60 million. The investigative arm of the US Congress has strongly criticised the Global Fund’s lack of accounting.

O’ Shea said, “It is absolutely disgraceful that large amounts of monies donated to the Global Fund for the fight against killer diseases appear to have been stolen or misused. As Germany and Sweden have done, the Irish government must immediately suspend all contributions until the results of a comprehensive investigation are known - and until it is certain that proper accounting mechanisms have been put in place.

“Far too often the Irish government seems to ignore reports of corruption or brutality in the developing world, and continues to donate Irish taxpayers’ money regardless.”

The GOAL CEO gave examples, “After 193 human rights demonstrators were killed by Ethiopian police in 2005, other donor governments suspended their aid contributions, yet our government continued channelling aid through the Ethiopian regime.

“The highly reputable Human Rights Watch (HRW) organisation released a report in October 2010 detailing how food aid is being withheld from citizens in Ethiopia who cannot prove that they support the ruling regime. The HRW report was dismissed out-of-hand by senior officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs.”

John O’Shea continued, “The Irish government is far too willing to take the word of dodgy regimes and inept organisations when allegations of wrongdoing are raised. For once, it should stand up for what is right.

“That this government will soon be leaving office is no excuse. We are talking about Irish taxpayers’ money. It is the duty of the government to ensure that every cent is properly accounted for. If the government cannot do that, particularly in light of the economic situation at home, then it must stop making the donations until such times as it can.”

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jacersagain | Jan 28, 2011, 08:57 PM EST

(oh yes there’s.. #More! And more and more, and more and more!# - as RIP’n Joe Dolan used to sing) – Now ye hafta get this bit really hard between the teeth... The campaign is geared to customers of ESSO/BP, asking them to stop buying petrol (gas) or diesel from those garages. Full stop... STOP! No more and more anymore for Esso/BP. The one-day campaigns not to buy from these garages fell far short of the target. So now the targeted going is for... get this bit really hard... is for full years and longer “No Buying from Esso/BP garages; buy from cheaper pricing garages” – after all, they deliver the same fuel, don’t they? - but at cheaper prices. The reason?? Esso/BP will see no one is buying from them; they will see their customers buying from better value garages. In response, Esso/BP will drop their prices; the cheaper garages, in competition, will drop their prices in return too and so on and on, until at last, WE THE CUSTOMERS and not Esso/BP set the true value. That will help John O’Shea’s case and will also make more pennies available for all charities. Pass the message on to all you can. This is us, the people, all going to work for the whole world, which includes each of us as individuals – a force to be reckoned with en masse world-wide. ****Pass the message all around: DON’T BUY FROM ANY ESSO/BP/SHELL outlet**** Let them know we know that we, the customers, are the deciding people, not them in Esso/BP/Shell. John O'Shea has a case against corruption. We have too.

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jacersagain | Jan 28, 2011, 08:47 PM EST

Funnily enough, as an aside and as a conjunction to this thing about corrupting by greedy people of the small wealth of insignificant people donating to charity in significant numbers, might I mention the campaign launched against big oil companies which are ripping off the whole world? Think of garages which dispense petrol (gas) and diesel to you to use in your motor car. (ok, I hope you've got that bit?) Now think Esso, think BP - both hugely dominating the re-fuelling stations and courtyards.(Got that bit too?)... Now think of smaller companies – in Ireland think Applegreen, Topaz, Tesco etc., which charge lower prices for your gallon or litre than Esso and BP (you know similar in the USA, GB and Aus etc...) Are yez with me? Keep thinking significant numbers (More...)

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jacersagain | Jan 28, 2011, 07:21 PM EST

I got a great m’Wahaha belly laugh ow’ruv m’Dublinjas’ comment! For m’Bwana Township, I admit my research is a few years old. But, c’mere, c’mere people... What’s the latest goss??? Is it m’Deemessers Bono-go-an’-Geld’orf charity dat’s bringing real relief to our unfortunate African fellow m’descendants datI should divert m’Concern’ed contributions to? Nah, m’dont tinkso or else I'd go bananas. Ah, but be shure to give what you can... some of it will get to relieving the miseries. “A penny for the Black Babies???... Anyone? Anyone?” Please do give pennies or cents... That should do it... ye can’t buy a rocket launcher for a penny but starving babies will eat of its ‘hay’pennies and fardings’.

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Dublinjas | Jan 27, 2011, 11:09 PM EST

I think the reason the Irish Govt ignored talk of corruption is because they do business in the same way themselves.

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kurtjohnson | Jan 27, 2011, 10:16 PM EST

It's reminiscent of the lavish lifestyles of the british government ministers living off the bones of the Irish people during the famine years.

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Towngate | Jan 27, 2011, 06:11 PM EST

WORSE THAN THAT jacers,news broke today that they have taken to SMOKING the aids/hiv medication in Africa. (I'm glad I left! m'Bwana). ............Your percentages for funds absorbed by Charity admin/salaries etc.,seem remarkably LOW and acceptable compared to those I have come across.You might like to look again. Slainte!

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jacersagain | Jan 27, 2011, 04:55 PM EST

I agree with O’Shea’s advice that we in Ireland, the world’s 7th most generous nation in the world (USA is 18th) despite our economic ills, should stop all donations like Sweden and Germany have until there is a thorough satisfactory accounting system in place. Mind you, it would also mean that O’Shea’s GOAL organisation would suffer too meantime. In certain research I did some years ago, I discovered that Concern, another charity was the best to donate to – they absorb less than 17 cent out of each euro donated for administration costs. Others, like O’Shea’s GOAL, use up over 20 cent per euro. If more cents of each euro we give to charity is lost to corruption, what is left for the actual cause? Time to think with our math heads and not our bled hearts.

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