Scouting Ireland funding halted until current Board of Directors steps down

This follows a series of allegations regarding sexual assault.

All government funding to Scouting Ireland has been suspended until the current Board of Directors resigns, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone has said. Zappone made the decision after the board voted to reinstate chief scout Christy McCann as the chair of an emergency general meeting (EGM) to be held by the organisation on governance reforms. This caused her to become "very concerned". She then announced that she was indefinitely suspending State funding for Scouting Ireland as long as the current Board of Directors remains in place. "I have decided to today that funding of Scouting Ireland will be suspended for as long as the current board of directors remains in place," Zappone said on Thursday. "I was very concerned to learn of recent events, particularly the vote taken at a board meeting on Saturday 22nd September to reinstate Chief Scout Christy McCann." McCann is one of the members of the organisation under investigation in relation to the organisation's handling of a rape allegation. Earlier this year, Scouting Ireland had a fraction of its funding restored following concerns over how the organisation handled an allegation of sexual assault in 2016, which was in relation to an incident which allegedly took place in 2009. A full independent investigation of the allegation was launched, which also looked into the handling of the matter by senior members of the organisation. McCann temporarily stood down amidst the inquiry. The organisation’s members will now vote to ratify an overhaul of their board at the group's EGM on 6 October. At this, they will also elect an entirely new board of directors. Main image via Scouting Ireland Facebook