Children’s charity boss rejects criticisms

The chief executive of a children’s charity from which four directors resigned last week citing governance concerns has rejected suggestions of financial impropriety or any attempt by him to block a governance review.

Tony Heffernan, who set up the Saoirse Foundation, named after his daughter who died from Battens Disease, also said he was “very happy” for the gardaí to investigate a complaint from one of the directors that challenges his claim that the charity’s ambulance was targeted by a thief at last year’s National Ploughing Championship.

The alleged theft generated significant media coverage and the public dug deep to help out, with an estimated €40,000 received in donations.