Putin’s honour for Irish charity chief

AN Irishwoman who has worked tirelessly for 20 years to help Russian orphans was yesterday awarded one of the nation’s highest honours.

President Vladimir Putin presented Debbie Deegan with the Order of Friendship at a ceremony in the Kremlin.

Mrs Deegan, from Clontarf, North Dublin, who founded To Children With Love, said she had no hesitation of accepting the award from the controversial leader.

She said: “We have committed ourselves to helping children who don’t have parents and that’s all we do.

“We’re not political, we’re not religious. It’s always worked for us that way.”

Mrs Deegan revealed Mr Putin is keen to go fishing in Ireland. She said: “He’s mad into fishing, so I said to him he should come to the west of Ireland on a fishing trip and I would organise it for him. He thought it was a really good idea.”

She claimed the media “paints such a negative picture” of Putin and Russia.

Mrs Deegan said: “We’re 20 years working here and they have always been