Fine Gael Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke, has said he would “welcome a review of the NGO sector” to assess how representative organisations’ views are relative the general public, saying that it is “very important” to do so.
Back in March, in the immediate aftermath of the crushingly defeated Family and Care referendums, Burke had previously noted the “quite significant” number of State-funded NGOs that had campaigned for the losing ‘Yes’ side, saying that the government would need to “look at” the extent to which such groups are “reflective” of wider Irish society.
Following the crushing defeat of the ‘Yes’ campaign in #Referendum2024, a Fine Gael Minister has said that the government will have to consider how much the views of campaigning NGOs “reflect” those of society at large.https://t.co/tNXNk0niB5
— gript (@griptmedia) March 10, 2024
Now today, two months on from the referendum, Burke was asked by Gript if this was still something he felt the government should look into.
Burke replied that it “absolutely” was, and that it was “very clear” that NGOs were “out of kilter with what people were thinking.”
“I think as a party and as a government we really learned from the result of the referendum,” he said.
“…And it’s very important, when an NGO comes forward, that they do represent the cohort that they claim to.”
Burke also said that a “review of the NGO sector” would be “very important”, because many NGOs have the government’s ear in a “significant” way.
“I would welcome a review of the NGO sector – I think it would be very important,” he said.
“We have people that are marginalised, that do need representation, and I would never, ever take away from that.
“But also you have to understand that many NGOs have a significant ear with the government. Many of them get privileged places to talk to government departments.
So it’s important that they do reflect their members, that they do reflect what their sector is thinking, and they reflect what people are thinking on the ground.
“I did speak at that time, the roster of NGOs that did support the referendum – it was significant. And obviously we’ve changed tack since then.”
Burke said that the government was very clear since the referendum that it would be focusing on “nuts and bolts” issues like housing and the economy.
The development comes after a report by Gript this week revealed that an NGO “anti-racism” event in Cork City Hall had heard a variety of radical claims, including that Garda officers “should be ashamed” of themselves for the killing of knife-wielding George Nkencho; that he was shot because “killing a black man is an achievement” in Ireland; and that Fine Gael Justice Minister Helen McEntee and the Director of Public Prosecutions are “corrupt” for failing to prosecute the officers involved.
A State-sponsored NGO event attended by TDs and Councillors in Cork City Hall heard that Garda officers "should be ashamed" of themselves for the killing of George Nkencho, and that he was shot because "killing a black man is an achievement" in Ireland.https://t.co/F7j1A7d7zU
— gript (@griptmedia) May 28, 2024
Notably, Burke is not the only government figure to hit out at NGOs in recent months.
In the wake of the referendum, a similar sentiment on NGOs was echoed by his party colleague, former Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan TD, who said he “agreed fully” with Burke’s analysis of the issue.
Moreover, Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness, who formerly served as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said in the run-up to the referendum that public money given to NGOs should be “audited,” and that for decades governments have “refused point blank” to provide transparency and accountability for the sector.
A Fianna Fáil TD and former Chair of the Public Accounts Committee has said that public money given to NGOs should be "audited," adding that for decades governments have “refused point blank” to provide transparency and accountability for the sector.https://t.co/XqOmR28TiP
— gript (@griptmedia) March 4, 2024
As far back as 2022, Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty – who is currently running for the European elections in Dublin – said that she felt the State-funded NGO the National Women’s Council of Ireland was “intolerant” of a certain kind of woman’s view, and was not representative of many women.
Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty on the NWCI:
"I think they are intolerant to a certain kind of woman's view…I have felt, and other women have said this to me, that the National Women's Council don't represent my views, and they don't want to hear my views.”#Referendums2024 pic.twitter.com/R7wVNHaYtq
— Ben Scallan 🇮🇪 (@Ben_Scallan) March 12, 2024