Charity paid €1.6m to bosses ‘to end liability’

The €1.64m paid by a leading special needs charity to 14 senior managers, without the knowledge of the HSE, were outstanding pension liabilities and other contractual obligations.

Management at St John of God’s, which operates intellectual disability and mental health services in counties Louth, Meath, Cavan, Dublin, and Kerry, said 70% of the pay-out was to discharge pension liabilities, while the remainder was to discharge other contractual liabilities to employees.

The payments, described in the sector as “buy-out of pay” arrangements, ranged from €50,000 to €250,000 and were made in 2013.