Remarks by President McAleese at the presentation of the Irish Red Cross Presidents Perpetual Trophy
Remarks by President McAleese at the presentation of the Irish Red Cross Presidents Perpetual Trophy Merrion Square, Dublin 2
Dia dhíbh a chairde, tá gliondar orm bheith anseo libh inniu ag an ócáid speisialta seo. Go raibh míle maith agaibh as ucht bhur bhfáilte chaoin. I always look forward to this event when as Patron I get to present the President’s Perpetual Trophy. Today we get two for the price of one as the trophies for 2008 and 2009 go to first aid teams from Dublin and Louth respectively. My thanks to Declan O’Sullivan for inviting me to be part of this day of celebration.
One thing I have discovered over my twelve year association with the Irish Red Cross is that its growing band of over 6000 volunteers are never likely to be made redundant for the suffering that led Henri Dunant to found the Red Cross is a perennial part of the human condition. It manifests itself often capriciously and cruelly from earthquakes which have devastated Haiti, and parts of Chile and China in recent months to the dreadful floods which devastated homes and livelihoods here in Ireland last November and the harsh snows which followed.
When men, women and children face into those overwhelming catastrophes the sense of aloneness can be crippling. What brings hope is the help that rallies, the solidarity that is shown by strangers and the shared sense of responsibility for putting things back together again. The Irish Red Cross has been a true friend to so many people at home and abroad over all the years since its foundation and over the past year it has been tested time and again by wave after wave of urgent need and on each occasion it has stepped right up front.
Here at home, working alongside other agencies and local authorities, the remarkable Red Cross volunteers spent days and nights out in all weather, helping those in need of first aid and humanitarian assistance during our extraordinarily harsh winter. It distributed €1.4m, generously donated by Irish people, to homeowners affected by the floods and it raised a further €2.4 from the pockets of Irish people to help those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Without that generosity the Irish Red Cross could not sustain its efforts or be as effective as it is. That level of support in these recessionary times is a measure of the goodness of the Irish and the trust they place in the Irish Red Cross.
Nationally you invest in our civic preparedness for all manner of emergencies big and small through your high-quality first aid courses for individuals, groups and employers. The sheer excellence of that training is showcased locally every day and indeed vindicated internationally the high level of achievements of Irish teams which compete at European level. It is a strong endorsement of the Irish Red Cross that it will later this year host First Aid Convention in Europe (FACE) competitions in Limerick. Let us hope by then international travel will have long since returned to normal.
Meanwhile warmest thanks for the multi-faceted work that you do which not only makes us prepared for emergencies but which quietly, unobtrusively enhances the lives of so many people, for Red Cross volunteers provide many less well known or publicized services to the community, including hospital visits to long-stay patients, clubs and social events for older people and training and respite breaks for carers. These regular and reassuring acts of kindness can for many people be the difference between enjoying life and merely enduring life. We remember with gratitude all the volunteers and funders who make that work of care possible. I thank too those who organize and run the Irish Red Cross whether as professionals or volunteers. You are human nature at its very best.
And we have gathered to celebrate the best first aiders - those who have excelled in the national Red Cross senior first aid competitions. Congratulations to Dublin, the 2008 champions who have had to wait quite a while to collect their awards so I congratulate them on their patience too, congratulations to the 2009 winning team from Louth. To get the trophy you have to be the best and you have excelled in the first aid skills that ensure the continuing high reputation of the Irish Red Cross. We are proud of each one of you, proud of the many thousands of volunteers you represent and proud that we have such a dynamic organization as the Irish Red Cross. Is iontach an obair atá ar siúl agaibh. Gura fada buan sibh agus go raibh maith agaibh.