The chief executive of Ireland’s national association of charitable organisations called on the public not to “disconnect” from the charities they support following allegations of sexual misconduct.
"The public can be reassured, they can ask questions but they shouldn't disconnect, please, from the causes they support," said Deirdre Garvey from The Wheel.
More than a dozen employees have been fired from several Irish overseas aid charities over incidents of sexual misconduct in recent years. Last week Oxfam in the UK was engulfed in a scandal over sexual misconduct in Haiti.
“No real sector is immune to incidents of this nature,” said Ms Garvey. She said Irish charities have “robust, safeguarding policies and procedures” that are built to ensure allegations are taken seriously.
Ms Garvey told Newstalk Breakfast that charities cannot do their work without the public trust, and said charities must transparent and take “concrete steps” in response to allegations of that kind.