HSE concerned about viability of Console

The future of embattled suicide prevention charity Console will be decided at talks with its main funder, the Health Service Executive, in the coming days. The HSE is seriously concerned about the viability of the charity following a week of revelations about mismanagement and lavish spending.

Interim chief executive David Hall said the charity had just €53,000 left in its Irish bank accounts. This was in spite of the fact it had received substantial payments in the recent past, including €53,000 from the HSE last week and €166,000 raised through a charity cycle last year.

A HSE spokesman said it would be working closely with Mr Hall and forensic accountant Tom Murray in relation to the future arrangements for the provision of suicide prevention services and the charity itself. “We will need firm assurances that what we pay for is being delivered. Given the concerns over the viability of the charity, we will have to consider whether it is prudent to continue with Console or look at other organisations to provide services.”

Minister for Health Simon Harris described some of the findings of the HSE audit into Console’s spending as “disgusting”. Mr Harris said his “absolute overriding priority” in relation to the charity was the continuation of its services, which are provided “to some of the most vulnerable”.

The next instalment of HSE funding is a €70,000 payment due in the middle of the month, so a decision will have to be made before then.

The HSE is understood to be concerned that in the event of the charity collapsing, any money paid over in State funding could end up being paid to preferential creditors.

Mr Hall, who has taken over the running of Console after controversy over governance and spending, told Newstalk FM that Console had five bank accounts in its name. He said he believed that more than £100,000 (€119,000) is in a UK bank account, after being provided by Console in Ireland, and efforts were being made to retrieve this money.

The Irish operations of the charity were effectively funding its UK arm, which was run by Paul Kelly’s son, Tim, he said. One property is registered in Console’s name, but €509,000 is outstanding on the mortgage, he added. No other properties are registered in the name of the charity, while the company’s offices in Celbridge are owned by Paul Kelly and his wife Patricia.

Mr Hall said payments to people providing services were often made sporadically in the past and contractors were being paid well below the going rate. Some staff were paid last Friday while the rest were being paid today.

Console had income of €5 million between 2012 and 2014, of which the HSE provided €1.4 million, with the rest coming from donations and fundraising.

Mr Harris said he was conscious of a Garda investigation into these matters and, in his belief, the internal report contained a number of matters which the Garda should investigate. He also acknowledged the professionalism and commitment of the staff at the charity, who were not to blame for the difficulties.

Mr Harris said the charity regulator would, from September 1st, have powers to regulate and inspect charities. He said the first job the regulator had was to register some 12,500 charities. The next job now was “the regulation, the scrutiny,” he said.