Former Console staff have not received unpaid wages, TDs told

Former workers for scandal-hit suicide prevention charity Console are being forced to borrow money to pay family bills as the State has failed to pay them three months wages owed to them by the group.

The workers remain at the “bottom of the list” of creditors owed money, nine months after a financial irregularities scandal was uncovered, a letter to the Dáil Public Accounts Committee revealed.

Last summer, Console was thrown into turmoil after a HSE internal audit uncovered serious financial irregularities linked directly to then chief executive Paul Kelly.

The audit, which has led to a Revenue and garda investigation, included revelations Mr Kelly was misspending vital funds on cars, foreign holidays, designer clothes and rugby world cup tickets.

Further, he and his family benefitted from the charity to the tune of hundreds of thousands of euro.

The scandal, which Mr Kelly attempted to prevent from becoming public by threatening to sue the HSE over its findings, led to his eventual resignation and the introduction of a receiver to address the financial crisis.

In addition, a separate charity, Pieta House, was asked to take over the group’s 24-hour suicide prevention helpline.

The move was expected to resolve the concerns over what happened and ensure people dependent on the service, and also the 12 full-time and 60 part-time Console workers not implicated in the scandal, would be supported.

However, a letter to the PAC from a staff representative said the workers had yet to receive three months’ worth of salaries which were never paid — and the State has effectively left them to fend for themselves.

“The consequence of receivership was each of us being owed two and three month’s wages.

“I, like most of the staff, have a family and mortgage. We were left in a situation where we had to borrow money to pay our bills.

“We have contacted the liquidators, Government ministers and the PAC in the months since this scandal, and have been fobbed off and basically been told we are bottom of the list with regard to creditors owed money,” the staff representative wrote.

Citing the fact €80,000 was paid into the Console accounts on the night the scandal emerged in order to ensure staff would still be paid, the representative said staff want answers on how they will be helped.

PAC chair and Fianna Fáil TD Sean Fleming said he will demand the HSE explains the situation within seven days.