Donations to charities fall by 10% after scandals

Two out of three Irish charities have seen public donations plummet by as much as 10% since the Rehab and Central Remedial Clinic scandals emerged.

The finding, made by a nationwide survey of 297 leading charities across the country, was revealed at a day-long conference on the ongoing crisis yesterday.

Speaking at Croke Park in front of the State’s new Charity Regulatory Authority chief executive, Úna Ní Dhubhghail, voluntary organisation umbrella group The Wheel said public confidence has been shattered in those running voluntary services.

Out of an anonymous survey of 950 different organisations, the group said 61% have seen their fundraising efforts badly damaged by the legitimate negative publicity in recent months, with almost half of these saying donations have fallen by up to 10% since November.

As a result of the problems, which it placed firmly at the feet of those involved in the Rehab and Central Remedial Clinic affairs, the umbrella group said one third of charities asked have had to “cut back or suspend services in the past year”.

Cutbacks include:

- National Council for the Blind special supports;

- Irish Guide Dogs funding for dogs for children with autism;

- A Barnardos children’s literacy programme;

- “Curtailed or deferred” Irish Cancer Society services.

And with two-thirds insisting the issue has emerged at a time when demand for services is on the rise, it called for immediate action to address the problem before it is too late.

Two out of three charities questioned are attempting to improve transparency levels by committing to publishing their accounts online, revealing top level pay rates and strengthening fair governance structures.

The majority of these policies have already been called for as part of the independent Charity Regulatory Authority, whose board was appointed on April 30.

Speaking at the conference, Ms Ní Dhubhghail said she will be contacting all of the country’s more than 8,500 charities seeking this information from this autumn. “This is something we haven’t had before; a comprehensive list of registered charities.

“It must be comprehensive, must be robust and is something people must have confidence in,” she said.

Meanwhile, a report by the HSE’s interim administrator into financial scandals under the CRC’s former board is due to be revealed in the coming weeks.