HSE gave over €1m to charity which paid €84,000 to CEO's parents

The HSE contributed more than €1m to a charity where the parents of the chief executive received payments in excess of €84.000 unbeknownst to its other trustees.

Ataxia Ireland has been in receipt of HSE funding since 1999, when it received €27,934. The figure rose over the years, peaking at €112,558 in 2011. In 2016, before the HSE became aware of concerns at the charity, it received €84,832. The figure dropped to less than €4,000 this year after the Charities’ Regulator sent in inspectors last November to investigate its financial affairs.