The sale of mortgage loan books and the "cancer" of vulture funds means Ireland is walking blindfolded into a massive social crisis, a mortgage campaigner has said.

The HSE is considering whether mental health organisations could take on the Console service and staff as the crisis-hit group prepares to hold an emergency meeting with its employees today.

Former health ministers James Reilly and Leo Varadkar may face a public grilling before the end of this month over how much was known about the Console financial crisis while they were in office.

The charities regulator does not have the legal power to carry out statutory investigations of charities — as a section of the legislation has yet to be enacted.