Charities Regulator appoints inspectors to investigate BirdWatch Ireland

The Charities Regulator has appointed inspectors to carry out an investigation into issues of concern in conservation charity BirdWatch Ireland.

The regulator said it had opened the formal investigation following concerns first reported more than two years ago, and further issues identified in recent months.

A number of concerns about the charity were reported to the regulator between March and September 2019, at which point it began engaging with the conservation group on the matters raised.

“In early 2021, as part of a review of open concerns, the Charities Regulator followed up with BirdWatch Ireland. During that engagement a matter of further concern was identified,” the regulator said in a statement.

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Inspectors have now been appointed “to investigate the affairs” of the charity, and prepare a report for the regulator.

Helen Martin, Charities Regulator chief executive, said she acknowledged BirdWatch Ireland had engaged with the watchdog on the concerns that had been flagged.

However, she said “the Charities Regulator has determined that a statutory investigation into the charity is warranted”.

The regulator noted that opening an investigation was not in itself a finding of any wrongdoing on the part of the charity.

BirdWatch Ireland primarily works for the conservation and protection of wild birds and their habitats.

Chris Corrigan, acting chief executive of BirdWatch Ireland said it had been informed the regulator’s investigation related to “concerns regarding oversight and internal controls”.

Board members and staff would “fully assist” the inspectors as they compiled a report.

“The Charities Regulator has stated that it is important to note that the opening of a statutory investigation is not in itself a finding of any wrongdoing,” he said.

“Given the nature of the exercise, we are unable to comment further at this time,” he said.

The charity received a letter from the regulator around the start of this week, sources said. The letter informed the organisation that inspectors were being appointed.

It is understood the regulator’s concerns are at the lower end of the scale, when compared to other investigations involving charities in recent years.

The investigation is likely to take a number of months, before a report is completed.

The two inspectors appointed to investigate the charity are Tom Mulholland, Charities Regulator director of compliance and enforcement, and Corné Mouton, a partner at auditing firm Mazars, who specialises in governance and internal controls.

BirdWatch Ireland has several thousand members, with 30 local branches run by volunteers. It also runs a number of nature reserves, and employs around 30 staff.

The charity reported an income of €1.7 million last year, the majority of which was spent on conservation projects, according to its latest financial accounts.

Due to a loss of income during Covid-19 the organisation was forced to place staff on reduced hours, and suspend the charity’s involvement in a number of projects. The organisation raised €125,000 in donations as part of an emergency Covid-19 appeal, to help offset the financial impact of the pandemic.