Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised about the governance and financial management of suicide prevention charity Console.
A report by RTÉ Investigates, Broken Trust, due to air tonight will reveal irregularities about the charity’s finances in relation to cash receipting, expense claims and financial accounts.
The programme shows that, when applying for state grants and tax exemptions, the charity altered accounts to omit or edit references to directors’ pay and other benefits.
RTÉ also reports that the charity’s directors, from 2010 to early 2014, were made up of founder Paul Kelly, his wife Patricia, a close family relative and, briefly, another immediate relative.
Under Revenue Commission rules, there should be “a minimum of three Officers, Trustees or Directors, who are not related and (are) independent of each other.”
The programme found that Console also submitted accounts to bodies such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Health Service Executive (HSE), the charity’s main funder, where Patricia Kelly used her maiden name Patricia Dowling, making it less apparent the directors were related.
In other documents, directors who were members of the Kelly family were registered with varying dates of birth.
The charity also incorrectly claimed certain people, including former independent Senator Jillian van Turnhout, were board members in documents submitted to funders.
The Garda Press Office said they could not comment on the issue, while a representative from Console sent us this statement: “I’m afraid none of us here are in a position to comment right now but we will certainly come back to you if this changes.”
TheJournal.ie has contacted the HSE for comment.
Speaking about the issue in the Dáil this afternoon, Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald said she is “very concerned” about the allegations.
It is essential that confidence is maintained in the NGO sector. We now have the charities regulatory association and the HSE has finalised an audit into the Console agency. I can say the HSE has confirmed they’ve received no complaints about the services provided by Console. These are very important services in relation to suicide prevention and support to families.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I think they’ll be disappointed. Queen are not the same without Freddie Mercury.
@Manbackonboard: excellent
I feel sorry for the Queen.
What TF are Harry and Wills doing by agreeing to meet the Trumps? Surely they’re not obliged.
@Russel Steapot: Must be setting up the Royal family in the US now, it is a business?
@Russel Steapot: probably moral support for poor Grannie who has a deluge of crooked, ignorant Trumps, who’ve invited themselves, to cope with. That family have some neck!
One will need xanax with ones gin to cope
@emer caffrey: Trump’s all excited about the Royal wee…
@TamuMassif2019: Desending on him from a great height?
@Eamonn Ó Maoldomhnaigh:
Rain down, rain down
Come on rain down on me
From a great height
From a great height
Height
Rain down, rain down
Come on rain down on me
From a great height
From a great height
Height
Rain down, rain down
Come on rain down on me
That’s it, sir
You’re leaving
The crackle of pigskin
The dust and the screaming
The yuppies networking
The panic, the vomit
The panic, the vomit
lol.
I think they should just give Philip a free reign to say whatever he wants and then sit back and enjoy the show
@Olly Keegan: They should let him do the driving.
@Olly Keegan: That would make for excellent reality TV if they put a camera In the room
@Olly Keegan: Phillip’s driving them to the palace…
Hope she snubs the lot of them.
@Tom Kelly: One wealthy family from inheritance that doesn’t declare their tax meets another. One difference though is that the royals pr team bans them from exposing their real thoughts on social media!
Imagine if Prince Philip had a twitter account! That would be legendary.
@Shane Carroll: the royals don’t declare tax because they don’t pay tax. It’s difficult to declare zero
I wonder if Her Majesty will be able to keep up the facade when that reality TV bunch of riff raff comes to soil her carpet….
Probably worried about leaving them at home with creepy Joe biden .
@Pl O’neill: You mean Brett Kavanaugh!
@Orla Smith:. No he clearly stated Joe Boden. Is there something wrong with you?
@Enda Heff: He clearly didn’t state Joe Boden!!!
@Sorcha Ní Shúillekabháin: so the pretext of creepy changes the clarity is it?
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: No, but if you’re going to be so rude as to ask what’s wrong with someone else it would help to be right yourself!
@Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: *mic drop*
I don’t think he has figured it out yet
@Enda Heff: He clearly didn’t say David Hasselhof. Does that affect the context?
Oh God does that mean they are coming here too. Nooooo
Let loose the corgis…
@DJ François: with bees in the mouths and when they bark they shoot bees.
@DJ François: in case you missed it … all royal corgis are now ex- corgis. They’ve died out and Betty isn’t going to have any more.
A nice day out for Tiffany
@Dave O’Keeffe: haha so harsh
Is this really news?
The Grizwalls meet the Queen National Lampoon European vacation!
Wouldn’t be the first time the monarchy of the UK was sympathetic to a fascist.
@ianglen: Always Facists around in Central Europe .
A democratically elected head of state meeting an unelected head of state before he meets with an other head of state that inherited his position from his pals. Would I have that right or am I missing something
The Clampetts are coming to town!
Well he’s bringing the ones he knows about !
It’s going to be like a school outing.
@Patabake Kennedy: Who took a dump in the Queens handbag… Own up…
I didn’t think he was a adult never mind siring any such a thing
@FlopFlipU: Show the Queen what you do for Daddy lol.
I think three Queen will be so excited……not
He reckons he’s royalty most likely. Delusions or notions, or both
The Queen of England is head of Britain’s for over 60 years and its amazing no one ever voted for her..
@Marty from Sligo: No need when they have the BBC Propaganda machine working overtime.
What do you call a bunch of Trumps?????
@Kyle Mac Creddin: an intellectual black hole
@Kyle Mac Creddin: a degradation of Trumps?
Yeah.. don’t mind us, we just have hotels and golf courses.. moving on, next the United Kingdom… They speak the same language so it should not be hard ..
I thought you had to be invited by Her Majesty, that you couldn’t just rock up to the palace with all your family in tow. Could this be like a reverse Assange? They show up at Buckingham Palace and claim asylum?
(No offence meant to anyone who genuinely is seeking asylum)
@CharliesAngel: May invited him for a state visit just after he was elected.
Because they all have sore feet and Trump heard the Queen has Footmen lol.
The Von Trappe family meets the Queen
Is Stormy Danials going also… Will the video be on sale after visit.. Asking for a friend.
He is a multi billionaire so that should be no problem.
Like a pack of……..
Oh I hope Charles and the boys have a great talk about climate change and the benefits of wind power.
have your say