Fianna Fáil seeks assurances about future of Console’s services

Console's interim chief executive David Hall had "put a bomb" under Department of Health and Health Service Executive officials to have a meeting about the future of the suicide charity, the Dáil was told.

Fianna Fáil finance spokesman Michael McGrath said he understood a proposal had been put to protect Console's services.

“Let us remember this is about a helpline for people who are going through a very difficult time in their life and may have suicidal tendencies,” he said .

“It is about providing counselling services for those who have been bereaved when a loved one has taken their own life through suicide.”

He said it was also about protecting outreach support, adding that last year alone Console staff provided more than 5,500 individual counselling sessions.

Mr McGrath sought an assurance from Minister for Education Richard Bruton, who was taking Opposition Leaders' Questions, that the charity's services would be protected.

“There has been a lack of political leadership on this issue,” Mr McGrath added.

He said not a single Government Minister had picked up the phone to ring Mr Hall or speak to Console's staff in the past two weeks since RTÉ aired "astounding" revelations.

“That is despite the fact that the Minister would have had these revelations for a number of months in the form of the HSE audit report.”

Mr Bruton said he shared the concern that irregularities would have an impact on people in a very vulnerable position. Confirming there had been a meeting with Console, he said its primary motivation was to protect services and ensure the workers involved were treated properly.

“This has come as a huge shock to those working within the sector as well as those supporting it.”

Mr Bruton said the matter had come to light through enhanced governance oversight by the HSE leading to an audit of what was going on within Console.

“The system has been working,” he said. “We can all say it might have worked faster and can all point to reforms we would like to see concerning the charities regulator.”

He said the Government was open to changes in the legislation governing charities if they were necessary.

Mr McGrath said he understood staff members were owed €86,000.

In recent weeks, he added, the whole country had been saddened and shocked at the continuous stream of revelations relating to Console and how it was being run by the former chief executive.

He said what happened was a betrayal of trust of those who volunteered their time to Console and donated to it, their staff and, most of all, those who used its services.