Posted by Scouting Ireland expel chief scout in long-running scandal over governance and safeguarding standards
Scouting Ireland expel chief scout in long-running scandal over governance and safeguarding standards
Scouting Ireland has today said a decision to expel the chief scout and two other senior figures “brings to a conclusion a long and difficult matter for the organisation”.
The scouting body was commenting after chief scout Christy McCann, chief commissioner David Shalloo, and former board member Ollie Kehoe were expelled from membership after a three-year disciplinary process into governance and safeguarding standards.
A fourth senior figure, chief commissioner Thérèse Bermingham, was suspended for two years from holding any position outside her local scout group.
The board of Scouting Ireland cited evidence of misconduct in arriving at its decision.
In early 2018, it was reported that a confidential review in Scouting Ireland had found the four senior members handling of a rape allegation, concerning two adult volunteers, had been deeply flawed.
The four individuals stood aside and State funding to the organisation was suspended by the then minister for children, Katherine Zappone.
An independent investigation, which finished in early 2019, decided the four senior figures had acted inappropriately in the handling of the allegation and a subcommittee was set up to consider the findings of that investigation.
In a statement to the independent.ie today, Scouting Ireland said while it does not comment on individual cases, it could confirm that “this brings to a conclusion a long and difficult matter for the organisation”.
“Following the completion of the Disciplinary Process carried out by the National Management Committee of the Association in relation to four members, the Board of Scouting Ireland / Gasóga Na hÉireann has now considered the outcome of this process, and how it may impact on their membership of Scouting Ireland/Gasóga na hÉireann.”
“The Board has completed its deliberations and has confirmed its final decision to each of the four members,” it added.
The Irish Times reported that the four were recently given three weeks to respond to the findings of the committee, and the decision was finalised last week.
The paper reported that in a statement to members on Monday, Scouting Ireland said the board had made findings of misconduct against the four senior volunteers under the organisation’s disciplinary process.
