On Monday afternoon, Thomas Lentz, Director General of the Federation of Social Sector Organisations (FEDAS), appeared before the Special Parliamentary Committee on the Caritas Affair.
Lentz revealed that FEDAS had offered its assistance to the government as early as August 2024, just one month after the €61 million fraud scandal came to light. However, the first meeting between FEDAS and the government did not take place until December.
Lentz explained that FEDAS sent a follow-up letter in September, prompting a response from the Ministry of State. By that time, however, the government had already decided to establish a new entity, “Help on the Ground” (HUT), which would take over Caritas’ national activities and approximately 350 staff members.
The initial meeting between FEDAS and government representatives finally occurred on 19 December. During this session, FEDAS presented its proposals for strengthening the social sector’s resilience in the face of similar crises. A second meeting followed on 25 February, where FEDAS submitted a ten-point programme to the relevant ministries. Lentz stated that the goal is to finalise a memorandum of understanding with the government by 1 May.
MP Taina Bofferding, rapporteur of the special parliamentary committee and head of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) parliamentary group, expressed regret over the government’s delayed engagement with FEDAS. She raised concerns about the government’s approach to resolving the Caritas Affair, noting that while the stated goal was to save Caritas, no efforts were made to redistribute its activities among other providers in the social sector. If that had been the case, the government would have sought to engage with FEDAS earlier, she stated.
In 2024, FEDAS announced it would take over Caritas’ social advocacy mission after it became clear that the newly established entity HUT would not assume this role. According to Lentz, the specific areas of responsibility have now been defined. He expressed optimism that a preliminary assessment could be completed before the summer holidays, with more concrete developments expected after the start of the new school year in September.
On Wednesday, MPs will hear testimony from representatives of the diocese. This will be followed by a session on 26 March, when former Caritas director Marc Crochet is scheduled to appear before the committee.
