By Michael O’Farrell
Investigations Editor
A FUNDRAISER for a prominent children’s charity has demanded the return of more than €100,000 he raised because of concerns about financial governance and accountability that saw four directors resign last month.
Explorer Mike O’Shea, who raised the money to help the Saoirse Foundation buy a children’s ambulance, has also formally complained to the Charities Regulatory Authority and to Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald.
But a spokesman for the charity yesterday expressed disappointment at the ‘negative and inaccurate statements’ and insisted there was no issue. He also said a second child-friendly ambulance would be on the road this summer.
He added that the charity has appointed Deloitte to conduct a full governance audit of all their procedures and policies to ensure they are ‘fully compliant’.
Mr O’Shea raised the money last year by organising the Megapush, a fundraising event that saw an ambulance being pushed from Kerry to Dublin.
On Thursday in a letter to Mr O’Shea, Ms Fitzgerald’s private secretary confirmed that the CRA would review Mr O’Shea’s complaint via an interim process with a view to investigating concerns about the Saoirse Foundation.
‘The Minister appreciates the need to ensure the highest standards of transparency and good governance in the charities sector,’ the letter reads.
As Minister for Children in 2013 Ms Fitzgerald helped to launch Bumbleance, the charity’s specially adapted ambulance. In addition to the CRA review, a Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation probe is under way into a reported robbery of Saoirse Foundation materials, which when publicised resulted in a significant increase in donations. CCTV footage covering the period of the reported robbery has been given to gardaà by David Hall.
Mr Hall, head of Lifeline Ambulances, which mans the Bumbleance service for the Saoirse Foundation, yesterday issued the charity with notice that his company was withdrawing from Bumbleance.
Mr Hall is one of four of the charity’s seven directors who quit last month leaving just founder and chief executive Tony Heffernan, his wife Mary and one other director in place.
The Heffernans set up the charity in 2010 after their daughter Saoirse was diagnosed with a rare condition called Batten disease.
The resignations came after a board agreement to undertake a forensic accounting and governance review of the charity was not fulfilled. But it is now emerging that similar concerns were evident among others who resigned prior to last month’s four resignations.
A fifth director, Susanna Lyons, resigned seven months ago: ‘I put in writing to the directors of the board my concerns,’ she said when contacted this week.
Mr Heffernan has denied there was anything untoward about the charity’s affairs and said he had not blocked the financial review.
One of a number of concerns expressed by the departing directors included discrepancies of as much as €70,000 in the amount raised by the Megapush. Mr O’Shea said he had not been provided with a final figure for the amount his event had raised: ‘I made repeated requests by email and phone for a final figure and to this day it has not been finalised and agreed,’ Mr O’Shea said.
He expressed disappointment that despite the money he raised no new Bumbleances were yet operational.
This week Mr Heffernan spoke to Radio Kerry about the Megapush, saying ‘any alleged discrepancy of funds is completely inaccurate.’ In a statement to the Irish Mail on Sunday this week, he said: ‘I am very disappointed that Mike O’Shea feels it appropriate to issue negative and inaccurate statements to the media about the Saoirse Foundation and our successful event last year, which has enabled us to achieve our goal and commission a second Bumbleance.’ iosinvestigations@gmail.com Regulator will review Saoirse Foundation’Negative and inaccurate statements to media’
