Ex-Peter McVerry Trust CEO to tell PAC charity was in ‘financial chaos’ with €18m debt

Francis Doherty (pictured), who worked with the charity for 10 years before succeeding Pat Doyle as CEO, is set to tell the PAC on Thursday that on the day he took over the job, it owed close to €18m to various creditors and had just €437,000 cash on hand across its various bank accounts. File picture: Brendan Gleeson

The former chief executive of the beleaguered Peter McVerry Trust housing charity was advised when taking his role that “the organisation could not be handed over to you in better financial health”.

However, Francis Doherty is set to tell the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the description he received regarding the trust’s finances “could not have been further from the truth”.