I am delighted to be here today to officially open St. Raphael’s Garda Credit Union.
I would like to thank Gerry Keane for inviting me to share in this important event. In fact, there is no better way to celebrate 40 years of this Credit Union’s existence than with the opening of these new premises on the Naas Road and the launch of your celebratory publication. The only thing I am sad about is that St. Raphael's no longer belongs in my own constituency! That said, with this opening, the Garda Credit Union enters a new era of professional service for its 27,000 members countrywide.
It is clear from your publication that we are living in a very different time today compared to when St. Raphael’s first opened its doors. In 1964, plans for the new World Trade Centre were only on display in New York. The effects of smoking were only beginning to be understood. And the average price of a house was under €4,000. And perhaps most remarkably, over that time, your credit union has grown from shares to the value of half a crown, to €305 million in assets today.
But it is good to know that in the face of so much change, one constant has been St. Raphael's commitment to customer care. Over the years, you have developed great expertise in financial planning and the use of new technologies. Your determination to move with the times, along with your ethos of co-operation and self-help, which is central to the credit union movement, has made St. Raphael’s into the largest Credit Union in Ireland.
And, pride of place must today go to these offices, which provide physical proof of your growth over the years. What a transformation since my visit here at the end of 2003 to lay the foundation stone for this building! My congratulations go to builders, Elliot & Co. and HKR Architects on your work in bringing this development about.
These state-of-the-art facilities are a long way, in every respect, from what was affectionately known as the ‘Barber Shop’ under the stairs in Dublin Castle where this Credit Union first started out. Funded by the Credit Union itself, this new building makes a clear statement of your ongoing commitment to customer needs. It is a tribute to the team here and all involved in the Credit Union.
On this occasion, I want especially to salute all of the people, too numerous to mention, whose foresight and dedication have transformed St. Raphael’s over the years. Some sadly have passed on. I would like especially to pay tribute to founding members Jim Hayes, Jim Healy and Brian Sheehan for their unsparing efforts in ensuring the growth and development of the credit union in its early years. These men, along with their fellow founders, gave generously of their time. They also took a huge interest in the welfare of members in an era when households had much tighter budgets than today. We are thankful to them and their many peers for their part in improving the lives of thousands of Gardaí all over the country.
I am grateful also for the perseverance and hard work of Eugene Lynch, your Project Manager without whom this celebratory publication charting your 40 year history would not have become a reality.
The voluntary spirit shown by all involved in St Raphael’s is the bedrock of the credit union movement and has long been a hallmark of Irish society. Today, despite the hectic pace of life, there are over 9,500 volunteers involved in the movement nationwide and I am grateful to them for ensuring that the movement goes from strength to strength.
I recognise of course that at a time of considerable change in Irish society, the movement faces particular demands in terms of ongoing voluntary activity and other issues. Through the work of the Credit Union Advisory Committee, working in conjunction with the Registrar of Credit Unions, we in Government will continue to ensure that you meet all challenges going forward.
Before I conclude, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to the ongoing work of an Garda Síochana. I am of course aware that recent events have identified a number of very serious occurrences and problems in some elements of the Force. In order to ensure that the misconduct and mismanagement problems that arose can never happen again, these issues must – and are being – fully addressed with the utmost thoroughness and determination.
However, I am concerned that these events might be used by some as a brush with which to unfairly tar the entire Force and its members. The men and women of An Garda Síochána have demonstrated, time and again, their commitment to serving and protecting the public in a courageous and conscientious manner. They do so under increasingly challenging circumstances and often at great personal risk to themselves. Recent opinion polls, and widespread anecdotal evidence, show that an Garda Síochána continue to enjoy the support of a great majority of the public. I believe that this support is well deserved and that the faith and trust of the people in their police force will endure.
Finally, I would like to wish everyone here many more years of success in your new home. I have no doubt that you will continue to go from strength to strength over the coming years.
Thank you.
ENDS.