Gardaí deciding if issues relating to Console merit a criminal probe

Gardaí are considering if concerns raised in relation to suicide prevention charity Console merit a criminal investigation.

A report on RTÉ’s Prime Time programme last night made a number of allegations in relation to the charity. Ahead of the broadcast, its chief executive Paul Kelly had resigned as his wife Patricia Kelly and sister Joan McKenna had resigned as directors.

The allegations included that Console altered accounts on several occasions to omit the reference to directors’ pay and other benefits, and that it claimed as board members people who did not hold those positions in documents submitted to funders. One of those was former senator Jillian Van Turnhout, who told RTÉ Investigates that she was “stunned” her name had been used.

Yesterday, the gardaí said they had “recently received correspondence in relation to a particular charity regarding a number of issues”, and were assessing these.

The Charities Regulator John Farrelly said he did not comment on individual concerns against a registered charity “as this may prejudice any future investigation or legal proceedings”.

The HSE, which gave the charity €1.7m between 2012 and 2014, declined to say if it had raised concerns with gardaí on the grounds that “as this forms part of the internal audit process, the HSE is not in a position to comment”. The HSE said a decision has not yet been made whether to continue funding Console.

The Department of Health denied claims made on Liveline yesterday that it had been made aware of concerns around Console in 2013.

The department said “following a search within the department this afternoon we have not found any record of a meeting, request or correspondence relating to the issue raised on the RTÉ Liveline Programme”.

Health Minister Simon Harris said he had not yet received a report from the HSE in relation to Console but that his priority was to make sure there was “absolutely no disruption” to the provision of Console’s counselling services.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said Console’s support services would not be affected “but there is the question of gardaí being involved, with further investigation to be done by the charities regulator and bringing information together relating to the issue”.

In his statement to RTÉ, Paul Kelly said accounts supplied to funders were “draft accounts” that “any assertion of intentional wrongdoing on the part of Console, the CEO and/or directors... is fully denied”.