The behaviour of St John of God (SJOG) in paying hundreds of thousands in secret salary top-ups and lump sum compensation to senior managers to circumvent public pay policy has raised “fundamental issues of trust” with its funder, the HSE.

More than 200 accidents and incidents were recorded last year at one care centre run by St John of God, watchdogs have revealed.

Severely disabled residents are being locked up on their own, undernourished and subjected to hitting and biting every day, a shocking official report into a home has found.