Console. Charity, Irish-style

PARlance

RobertKK wrote: »

Unfortunately a lot of the people at the top of charities and human rights organisations see themselves as a charity case. A lot on six figure salaries and when questioned about it they say it is the going rate or if they were to hire someone from the professional world they would be paid more.

Whatever about those incidences, this is a whole different level. This is pure and utter fraud. How the HSE continued to keep funding them throughout the years, despite having reservations about the governance, is a joke. They keep funding them because sometimes it just easier to outscource something as trivial as mental health services.

ohnonotgmail

donegaLroad wrote: »

yes and they go on with this bolloxology of 'oh, the remuneration is high so as to attract the right talent'.

yeah that worked out well for Rehab and Console.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

donegaLroad wrote: »

yes and they go on with this bolloxology of 'oh, the remuneration is high so as to attract the right talent'.

I've scraped more talent off the bottom of my shoe than this whole family put together. Shower of absolute ****.

RobertKK

You know these foreign trips to raise money, like a trek to Machu Picchu which one Irish charity are having, do the organisers pay for their own trip or does it come from their own funds?

I suspect these are free trips for the organisers.

MilesMorales1

RobertKK wrote: »

You know these foreign trips to raise money, like a trek to Machu Picchu which one Irish charity are having, do the organisers pay for their own trip or does it come from their own funds?

I suspect these are free trips for the organisers.

It's free trips for the organisers, obviously.


There is a reason why I don't give to many charities, all these CEO's and thieving scumbags can go **** themselves. I have a standing order to the SVP but it'll probably be them next.

Geuze

Don't forget the hepatitis C charity known as Positive Action.


http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/gardai-probe-alleged-fraud-in-hep-c-charity-30688992.html


"A damning audit report on the finances of Positive Action, which was recently completed by the HSE, criticised the organisation, which at one point got €600,000 in funding over four years, which it spent in part on expensive restaurant meals, pampering weekends in hotels, alternative therapies and a dog kennel."


http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/dpp-to-consider-criminal-charges-in-wake-of-alleged-positive-action-fraud-1.2037645

Sapphire

It happens at every level of charities. On that my mother was briefly involved in fundraising for, the woman who runs it locally was encouraging her to submit inflated expenses for certain things she helped sort out for them. She got disillusioned at the way the organiser would book herself the deluxe suite of a hotel on trips away or expense pricey meals so she left in the end.

whiskeyman

donegaLroad wrote: »

yes and they go on with this bolloxology of 'oh, the remuneration is high so as to attract the right talent'.

In fairness, there's a HUGE difference to high remuneration of charity staff and what these cowboys in Console got up to.

I fully believe that you may need to pay well to get the best staff for the benefit of the charity and thus the people who need it.
If a charity isn't run like a proper business, it's going to fail.

osarusan

Been reading through this all day on here and elsewhere and it's sickening, f**king sickening.

It's far from the first time either - has there not been any attempt to increase scrutiny on how these charities operate in recent years?

gctest50

Sapphire wrote: »

It happens at every level of charities. On that my mother was briefly involved in fundraising for, the woman who runs it locally was encouraging her to submit inflated expenses for certain things she helped sort out for them. She got disillusioned at the way the organiser would book herself the deluxe suite of a hotel on trips away or expense pricey meals so she left in the end.

There may have been another side to that too - there might be a very special discount when she went to any of those places at other times (paying out of her own pocket )

Moo Moo Land

Ireland, the country of zero accountability.

whiskeyman

Moo Moo Land wrote: »

Ireland, the country of zero accountability.

Says who?





Ah... who cares...

CrabRevolution

I'm always suspicious of the sheer number of charities out there for the same cause. I realise there probably isn't a one size fits all approach to problems, but at least a rough umbrella charity should be put in place.

For example there seems to be dozens of homeless and depression/suicide charities. These topics are high in the public's order of sympathy, so are likely to get huge amounts of donations. There really is no need for such duplication. All it results in is huge waste as you've dozens of CEOs on huge salaries, dozens of executive boards etc.

There should be some consolidation between most of them. This article says there's at least 75 homeless organisations operating in the state:

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/charities-for-homeless-are-not-value-for-money-report-34349696.html

I'd say there's a similar number of mental health and suicide agencies too. Aware, Pieta House, Suicide or Survive, Jigsaw, Samaritans, Console, Shine etc.

I'm sure most of the people working in these charities mean well, but having so many organisations aiming for the same end goal increases the likelihood of the embezzlement and theft happening.

Stig Inge

That doctor stunt is up there Frank Abagnale jr . What a sociopath

maudgonner

Moo Moo Land wrote: »

Ireland, the country of zero accountability.

I have hope that the Revenue Commissioners will come down on them like a ton of bricks.

I have very little faith that we'll see reform in the charity sector though, if it didn't happen after Rehab why would this be any different.

edbrez

Donors to Irish charities are suckers.

velo.2010

waraf wrote: »

and before people start whinging about a salary of 100k for a CEO, you can't expect to attract a decent CEO of a multinational organisation for the average industrial wage)

Why not? I thought charity was something of a 'selfless endeavour' with those involved in raising the fortunes of those less able, while taking just enough for themselves - obviously not!

I've always had a problem with 'charity' ever since those Trocaire boxes were forced upon us in primary school. Why specifically Trocaire? What about Concern, Gorta, Goal etc? Ah, how could I forget, the Catholic church of course. It became something of a competition to fill up those boxes which put pressure on families, especially those from working class areas. Kids with older siblings or from a slightly better off background would come in looking for a second or sometimes third box, while those with a smaller family and less well off would almost be shamed if they couldn't fill just one box. Further shaming would follow for some kids if the teacher decided to open up the boxes at the end of lent and pour the coins into a bucket. Any bronze coins were frowned upon by some and would unfairly and publically reinforce the fact some kids were poorer than others.

Recent revelations in the media only serve to remind me of my suspicion of any charity that does not give practically all of its donations (aside from the heat/light bills for an office etc) for the purposes they advertise. Rather than being a vocation, charity these days has become something of a lifestyle choice for some while it embellishes the CV of others. You practically need a masters degree at this stage to be accepted as a volunteer for any of the well known local charities here. It serves both sides well as the charity can say they only get the best people while '6 months with SVP' looks good on a resume. All the while, genuine folk who have personal experience and could actually offer real help and guidance to a charity are left at the door.

If billions can be raised and matched by government each year, then do we really need that number of charities for specific causes - diluting the funds available due to salaries, gross expenses and raising awareness. Awarenes! I can't stand that term now. Re mental health charities - tackling mental health starts with helping those that are suffering. Right now there are people waiting on a bed in the mental health unit of Naas hospital. Instead of 'raising awareness' the 600k raised by 'Cycle against Suicide' in 2014 could, in theory, be used to open some more bed space in that hospital. But no, lets spend it on raising 'awareness' and propping up a charity bike ride.

We don't need half a dozen or more charities/agencies fighting for public's conciousness and good will when it comes to mental health. We need one agency, one helpline number, one government policy on mental health - not the piecemeal arrangement that currently exits and frankly doesn't work. Perhaps this recent scandal may force the government ot take much needed action in this area.

As for someone like Bressie. What does he charge for corporate gigs now? 2-3 grand a pop? His mental health website was created and is run by his talent management agency. So yeah, there is money to be made from Charity!

eviltwin

Well said Velo. I've worked in the charity sector for a good while now and I'm sick of organisations putting on the poor mouth and relying on interns, jobsbridge and volunteer workers to provide front line services while senior management pay themselves massive salaries and have generous expense accounts. The CEOs are just the tip of the iceberg.

Two Tone

Why is it "Irish style"?

CatFromHue

Two Tone wrote: »

Why is it "Irish style"?

yeah I wondered that too.

maryishere

maudgonner wrote: »

From what I heard on the radio this morning, there was also no defined system for logging donations. You would imagine that donations would be recorded and lodged straight into the charity's account. Not so, it seems. So who knows how much of the money donated to Console even made it into their bank account.

Correct. It said on the Prime Time programme that the fellow under investigation in Console also was the one who also always opened the post there. I'd say the fiddlying was worse even that the lavish expenses / credit cards / holidays / Q5 car / clothes etc.

The Black Oil

CrabRevolution wrote: »

I'm always suspicious of the sheer number of charities out there for the same cause. I realise there probably isn't a one size fits all approach to problems, but at least a rough umbrella charity should be put in place.

For example there seems to be dozens of homeless and depression/suicide charities. These topics are high in the public's order of sympathy, so are likely to get huge amounts of donations. There really is no need for such duplication. All it results in is huge waste as you've dozens of CEOs on huge salaries, dozens of executive boards etc.

There should be some consolidation between most of them. This article says there's at least 75 homeless organisations operating in the state:

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/charities-for-homeless-are-not-value-for-money-report-34349696.html

I'd say there's a similar number of mental health and suicide agencies too. Aware, Pieta House, Suicide or Survive, Jigsaw, Samaritans, Console, Shine etc.

I'm sure most of the people working in these charities mean well, but having so many organisations aiming for the same end goal increases the likelihood of the embezzlement and theft happening.

Agree with much of what you've said.

The Console case is an utter mess in terms of governance and on the financial side. There is a need for a wider conversation and review of suicide related charities which are publicly funded. They often seem to be set up by people with direct experience of the issue. There's different types - awareness orientated and those with an intervention or direct support services. People are not just suicidal 9-5 and maybe some of those sort of charities could be reduced in number, different things work for different people. I don't think Pieta House or the Samaritans receive HSE funding. The latter is a very long standing organisation - possibly the only 24 hour service, with wide reach and from what I understand, Pieta House has a very high reputation, brand awareness and is spread well around the country. Jigsaw - don't know their funding situation, but they engage directly with young people around mental health, iirc. Aware, that's depression specific and has services like a helpline, again a direct role. Don't know about SOS or Shine.

But, leaving the particulars of Console to one side, if fairness to the HSE, it's caught in a little bit of a bind here. Some local suicide groups are often set up in response to a tragedy. The HSE may then be expected to fund this for 12-24 months. What then if it said no, it can't continue to fund it? If it said the objectives of the charity were not being met, evidenced based - because of the high profile suicide has in this country, can you imagine the outcry if it threatened to pull funding from even one suicide charity?

mikeym

The money was just resting in my account

mikeym

They have a facebook page were you can donate your hard earned cash.

CrabRevolution

The Black Oil wrote: »

Agree with much of what you've said.

The Console case is an utter mess in terms of governance and on the financial side. There is a need for a wider conversation and review of suicide related charities which are publicly funded. They often seem to be set up by people with direct experience of the issue. There's different types - awareness orientated and those with an intervention or direct support services. People are not just suicidal 9-5 and maybe some of those sort of charities could be reduced in number, different things work for different people. I don't think Pieta House or the Samaritans receive HSE funding. The latter is a very long standing organisation - possibly the only 24 hour service, with wide reach and from what I understand, Pieta House has a very high reputation, brand awareness and is spread well around the country. Jigsaw - don't know their funding situation, but they engage directly with young people around mental health, iirc. Aware, that's depression specific and has services like a helpline, again a direct role. Don't know about SOS or Shine.

But, leaving the particulars of Console to one side, if fairness to the HSE, it's caught in a little bit of a bind here. Some local suicide groups are often set up in response to a tragedy. The HSE may then be expected to fund this for 12-24 months. What then if it said no, it can't continue to fund it? If it said the objectives of the charity were not being met, evidenced based - because of the high profile suicide has in this country, can you imagine the outcry if it threatened to pull funding from even one suicide charity?

I get the impression like you say that a lot of these are set up by people as a response after a friend/relative's suicide. They must think donating to charity isn't enough, and only setting up their own new organisation in the person's memory will be sufficient.

Capt'n Midnight

Revenue Commissioners, List of bodies who have been granted Charitable Tax Exemption @ 25th May 2016

223 pages

Xyzforsure

This charity will now be wound down.

Unless there is a name change and complete board overhaul.

PARlance

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Revenue Commissioners, List of bodies who have been granted Charitable Tax Exemption @ 25th May 2016

223 pages

Approx 3,200 of them. 30 people employed by the HSE to keep them under tabs. Understaffed according to Newstalk which I got a good laugh from.

maryishere

PARlance wrote: »

Approx 3,200 of them. .

About 3000 charities too many, in this small little country, about the size of an average Continental / American city. I know someone who "works" for one of them and there is no end to the designer clothes, foreign holidays etc there either.

ClovenHoof

Big Charity is a magnet for psychopaths. Jimmy Savile, Jim Jones, etc.

Create a profile for youself as a living saint, then use the fake image as a cover, and the charity as the enabler. All you have to do then is fire the people who might squeal on you, and bring in your own crew, then sail the gravy boat together.

Never give money to corporte charities. Only to small local ones or cash to the homeless person on the street.