Charities ‘unfairly demonised’ over top-ups

Charities have been "unfairly demonised" by the top-ups controversy, resulting in groups which have complied fully with all rules and regulations being effectively starved of funding.

Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII) chairman, James McCarthy, made the claim as he urged the public to start donating again to trusted groups.

Speaking at the launch of the group’s research into crisis unemployment and poverty levels for people who have suffered serious spinal injuries, the senior official said he understood the anger over the top-ups scandal at the Central Remedial Clinic and Rehab, among others.

Mr McCarthy pointed to a 25% cut in public donations to his own organisation — which has no connection to the issue — over the past year. In addition, government funding had also been slashed by 20%, and he said ‘clean’ charities were feeling “pretty aggrieved” by what had happened.

“I can completely understand that [the anger from the public]. But we at SII, for example, have an entirely voluntary board, we are fully audited and our accounts are available online. “Sometimes I have to say it’s about perception. I think organisations were unfairly demonised in this whole exercise, and I have a lot of sympathy for some people involved in those organisations.”

The SII currently receives approximately €330,000 from the State via the HSE and Department of Social Protection grants, and a further €400,000 through public fundraising initiatives.

Since the top-ups scandal emerged last year, charities not connected to the crisis have seen fundraising slump by as much as 40%, putting vital services at risk.