HSE asked to explain ‘missing’ €250k charity money

A government backbencher has called on the HSE to explain why a Galway-based children’s charity received only €50,000 of a €300,000 donation accepted by the State agency on its behalf.

Galway West TD Hildegarde Naughton revealed that the HSE had accepted a cheque for €300,000 intended for a local children’s cancer charity in 2009 – but gave just €50,000 of the amount to the organisation.

She has raised the issue with the Minister for Health, and has called on the HSE to explain what happened to the rest of the money.

The €300,000 was generated from a property sale by another children’s charity, Boys Hope Girls Hope (Ireland), which was in the process of winding up in 2009. It liquidated its assets and donated the proceeds to other charities working in the same area.

It agreed to give €300,000 to CD Helping Hands – later called Hand in Hand – to support the charity’s work in providing assistance to families affected by childhood cancer.

It was decided that the HSE would act as an intermediary to manage the funds and release it to Hand in Hand over a three-year period between 2009 and 2011.

The charity claims that the HSE also agreed to provide an additional €150,000 in funding on top of the €300,000 donation as part of the arrangement.

However, the HSE failed to release any money to the organisation until it made a payment of €50,000 in 2011, which Hand in Hand described as “hush money” to end its efforts to secure the rest of the funds.

“This is a most troubling situation and the HSE appears to have been unable to say what happened to this substantial sum of money, which has been denied to children and families affected by cancer,” said Deputy Naughton.

“Hand in Hand provides exceptional, practical assistance and support to people in this position; and the organisation could have done a lot of good with that money. It is incumbent on the HSE to address this issue immediately.”

In a letter dated May 4 2009, former director of Boys Hope Girls Hope John MacNamara wrote to a HSE manager, referring to the terms of the donation and enclosing a cheque for €300,000.

“I attach a cheque for €300k payable to the HSE PCCC (Primary, Community and Continuing Care) as you requested,” he wrote.

“You will have received a copy of [another director’s] letter of March 6 setting out the terms of this donation to fund CD Helping Hands Charity. In particular these terms include a commitment by you to donate €50k per annum to this charity.”

A memorandum of understanding signed by the HSE and the children’s charity in 2009 refers to a fund of €450,000, of which up to €150,000 could be drawn down each year for three years until 2011.