01/07/2016
The service users, fundraisers, volunteers and professional therapists who are the backbone of Console the Su***de Charity have been let down by the failure of corporate governance at the charity. They have also been let down by the failure of the state, until this year, to have effective regulation of charities. The charity regulator now needs to be given real teeth. Ireland has an enviable tradition of volunteering, and charities hold a position of great trust which can be easily eroded. Charities play a central role in the fabric of Irish Society, often providing services that fill a gap when the state's weak social provision falls short. We need to ensure that there is robust oversight of charities. So politicians, please ensure that regulators do their job without fear or favour. We the public also have a role, we need to be willing to ask questions when we encounter something that seems wrong; we need to demand and expect accountability. The current situation at console further undermines vulnerable people who have already been undermined by issues of su***de. As the new board at Console comes to grips with its task we can only hope that they will put the needs of the service users back at the heart of things.
