CEO of Console Paul Kelly; analysis of Console credit card payments and payments to his wife Patricia and their son Tim; and RTÉ Investigates journalist Paul Murphy

You may recall last Thursday night’s RTÉ Investigates report on the finances of national suicide charity, Console.

It reported how inappropriate payments were made to directors; multiple sets of accounts were used with alterations and deletions sent to different bodies; different dates of birth for the same person were used; while directors signed documents using both married and maiden names.

On the night of the report, it was reported that CEO of Console Paul Kelly had resigned.

Further to this….

Last night, RTE Investigates journalist Paul Murphy returned to the matter on Prime Time and reported on a draft copy of a HSE audit into the charity’s finances.

RTÉ writes:

The audit reveals details of how Paul Kelly, his wife Patricia and their son Tim benefited by almost half a million euro in salaries and cars between 2012 and 2014 with a further half a million euro spent during that period on Console credit cards for items including groceries, designer clothes and foreign trips. Between them Paul, Patricia and Tim Kelly used eleven credit cards over the three year period. Amongst the items the cards were used for, were large unvouched cash withdrawals, trips to Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and other destinations, designer clothing in outlets such as Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss, dining out, rugby world cup tickets and dental work. …Paul Kelly received consultancy payments of €218,586, plus a 2009 Mercedes CLS costing €30,600 (fully expensed) and 4 credit cards. Patricia Kelly received salary payments €67,149, plus a 2010 Audi Q5 costing €57,000 (fully expensed) and 4 credit cards. There were no contracts or board approvals for the payments for the CEO or his wife. Inconsistent and vague explanations were provided to the internal audit about Patricia Kelly’s car.

In addition, Mr Murphy reported last night that although Mr Kelly issued a statement saying he’d stepped down last Thursday – following a board meeting – Mr Kelly is now claiming that the meeting was never properly convened and he actually has not resigned.

Watch last night’s Prime Time back in full here (go to 30.25).

Previously: Inconsolable

RTÉ Investigations Unit

UPDATE:

Derry Clarke, who runs L’Ecrivan restaurant in Dublin with his wife Sallyanne Clarke, spoke to Seán O’Rourke, following last night’s Prime Time report.

Derry and Sallyanne’s son Andrew died by suicide in 2012.

Mr Clarke, who has fundraised extensively for Console since Andrew’s death, said: