Charities Regulator opens investigation into ISPCA over governance

The Charities Regulator has opened a statutory investigation into the animal welfare charity, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA), over governance concerns at the charity.

The charity was involved in a governance controversy over a dispute between the chair of its board and the chief executive last year, which led to several board members resigning.

The regulator announced it had decided to appoint inspectors to carry out a statutory investigation into the affairs of the charity on Thursday.

The regulator said it received reports of a “number of concerns” about the governance of the charity between March and June 2021. “Having engaged with the charity on the concerns raised, the Charities Regulator has determined that a statutory investigation into the charity is warranted,” it said.

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The inspectors appointed to investigate the concerns will prepare a report for the regulator. “It is important to note that the opening of a statutory investigation is not in itself a finding of any wrongdoing,” the statement said.

The charities watchdog said it would not be commenting further while the investigation was under way. One source in the regulator confirmed the concerns related solely to the governance of the charity.

A spokeswoman for the ISPCA said the charity had no comment on the regulator’s move to appoint inspectors.

The governance controversy arose following a dispute between the chair of the charity's board, Fiona Squibb, and its then chief executive, Andrew Kelly.

Ms Squibb, and another board member, Seamus Counihan, had been suspended from their roles pending the outcome of grievance procedures lodged by Mr Kelly. Ms Squibb took a High Court action last March to overturn her suspension, claiming it had been unlawful, unfair and fundamentally flawed.

Following the initiation of the legal action both directors were reinstated to their roles on the board.

Shortly afterwards Mr Kelly made a protected disclosure to the Charities Regulator, claiming the organisation’s board had “consistently failed” to meet governance standards, which he alleged was putting the charity at risk of “financial and reputational damage”.

Mr Kelly was then dismissed as chief executive in late March, with the charity later settling an unfair dismissal claim taken by him.

Amid the turmoil four other directors resigned from the board, including a number of independent directors.

The charity sought to replace the vacancies, bringing barrister Ronnie Hudson onto the board. However, Mr Hudson resigned a number of months later, and raised a number of concerns about the organisation with the regulator upon his exit.

The ISPCA board currently has five directors, with Ms Squibb as chair.

Kerry-Anne Pollock, a businesswoman specialising in strategic change management, was brought onto the charity’s board at the end of last year.

The charity runs three animal rescue and rehabilitation centres, and its inspectors respond to reports of animal cruelty, neglect and abandonment.