‘Anyone can check our accounts’

CONSOLE CONTROVERSY PROMPTS KERRY CHARITY TO ISSUE ASSURANCE

DIRECTORS of a small Kerry charity providing vital after-school services to children and teenagers with special needs in the Killarney area say they felt compelled by further controversies impacting the sector of late to take the step of issuing a reassurance on their accounts to the Kerry public this week.

Home from Home Killarney provides after-schools care at its Ballydowney centre to 14 children and teenagers, attendees of St Francis’ Special School in Beaufort.

Part-funded by the HSE and Pobal, Home from Home operates on a €90,000 budget, which includes the cost of transporting the children from Beaufort as well as from Kenmare.

Now, as it prepares to begin a fundraising campaign to purchase a bus, Home from Home has taken the step of reassuring all its supporters its finances are completely transparent and above board.

The Kerryman understands directors of the charity felt they had no choice but to issue the statement in the light of the Console revelations and other charity controversies last year.

“The Board...wish to advise our benefactors that our accounts are available for view to any interested party or member of the public,” the statement, signed by director Michael Leahy, set out, adding:

“Due to recent events in the area of charities we wish to assure all and sundry that all donations, etc, have been accounted for and audited. Our charity is run by a voluntary board who receive no remuneration. We are partly funded by the HSE and Pobal and governance and compliance is carried out in association with them.”