Former minister Charlie Flanagan elected chair of the Irish Red Cross
Charlie Flanagan is a solicitor and long-serving public representative, first elected to the Dáil in 1987 for the Laois – Offaly constituency as a member of Fine Gael.
He held a number of senior roles including chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, Fine Gael Party chief whip, Spokesperson on Law Reform, Minister for Children, and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.
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He later served as Minister for Justice before stepping down from the cabinet in 2020. Most recently, he chaired the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, where he worked on humanitarian issues.
Flanagan maintained an interest in humanitarian action throughout his career. He travelled to Mozambique with Irish Aid, to Ukraine on three occasions, and had multiple visits to Gaza and the Middle East.
He also currently volunteers on the board of a cross-border peace-keeping charity 'Co-operation Ireland', where he serves as vice chair.
Secretary general of the Irish Red Cross, Deirdre Garvey paid tribute to the outgoing chair, Pat Carey: 'Over the past ten years, he has steered the Irish Red Cross through an era of immense change and challenge, not least our unprecedented response to the war in Ukraine and the challenges faced by members, communities and the public during the Covid-19 years.
'Charlie Flanagan brings a powerful blend of domestic and international experience, a deep understanding of humanitarian issues, and a passion for volunteerism. I have no doubt he will be an outstanding chair as we work to strengthen our services and build a more resilient, compassionate Ireland.'
Flanagan was elected through a vote by the Irish Red Cross general assembly and his role will aid with the 2025 – 2030 strategy, focused on transforming the organisation and growing its reach across Ireland.
The strategy prioritises expanding national services, deepening community impact, and increasing awareness of the Red Cross' role as Ireland's humanitarian defence force, ready to respond and help people to recover after crises and emergencies.
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