No resignation from aged charity’s chief
A FORMER minister for older people – who is now in charge of a charity for the elderly – is refusing to say if she will resign for attending the controversial Oireachtas Golf Society event in Clifden.
Áine Brady, a former Fianna Fáil TD and junior minister, has not yet spoken publicly about her attendance at the event.
At the time she attended, the Third Age charity she heads had postponed most of its activities.
Based in Summerhill, Co. Meath, the charity has been forced to cancel weekly movie mornings, greyhound racing trips, a knitting group and other activities due to Covid-19.
The charity’s drop-in centre and library have also been closed.
Last weekend Mrs Brady – who is paid €56,000 as chief executive – was heavily criticised by Mary Nally, the award-winning former nurse who founded Third Age.
‘I’m really disappointed. I just couldn’t believe it. And people have been phoning me with regard to it and they’re not happy at all,’ she told the MoS. ‘We have older people who are adhering to the rules and who are lonely and who are isolating and who are doing exactly as they have to do under the guidelines.’
Last week Ms Nally said she believed the board of Third Age should meet to consider the situation. But this week Ms Brady and others at the charity refused to say if the board had met.
‘It looks like Áine’s not resigning,’ Ms Nally told the Irish Mail on Sunday this week. ‘I’m just very, very disappointed.’
Instead, Third Age issued a statement in which Mrs Brady apologised. ‘I am disappointed that my actions may have distracted from the tremendous work that the organisation does, and I will re-double my efforts to ensure that these programmes continue to deliver positive outcomes for older people in Ireland,’ the statement said. ‘I unreservedly apologise and deeply regret my attendance at last week’s event.’
The statement did not address the question of whether she and her husband had breached lockdown by travelling from their Co. Kildare home to the Clifden event. Approached by the MoS last week, Mr Brady said the couple left for holidays in Galway a day before Kildare went into lockdown, but refused to further clarify their movements.