Goal accused - Charity chief to resign

THE confidence once enjoyed by Irish charities may not be what it once was. 

The public’s faith in and generosity shown towards these organisations has been undermined by a new understanding about how resources are allocated by and within these agencies. In a country where Government has outsourced many vital services to the charity sector this is a significant and worrying development.

The news yesterday that Goal chief and former Fianna Fáil minister Barry Andrews is to step down on foot of an investigation by America’s foreign aid watchdog will not rebuild that confidence. Though there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Mr Andrews this is not the first time Goal has faced critical scrutiny.

The events that led to his resignation took place around operations designed to get aid into Syria. In a situation as volatile and as dangerous as that — a UN aid convoy was attacked just weeks ago — normal rules hardly apply. Let us hope, that in time, all doubts around Goal’s work in that war zone might be allayed or at least made understandable.