Over €70K spent on trips to popular holiday resorts as Console's financial audit is completed

The final audit of the charity Console has been released, and the damning financial examination reveals details on the amount of money spent on travel abroad to popular holiday destinations by founder Paul Kelly who used the money belonging to the charity.

Mr Kelly, who has an address in Clane, clocked up a total foreign travel bill of €71,460 over just two years, with destinations such as Tenerife and Cyprus among the places that trips were charged to.

The HSE began a two-year financial audit into the dealings at Console in 2015 when it became clear that all was not right at the charity, and it was eventually liquidated last summer after more than €300,000 in debt was racked up. Mr Kelly, his wife Patricia and their son Tim all received salaries of over €500,000 between 2012 and 2014 as Console took in over €5 million worth of public donations and HSE grants.

Nine full-time staff a the charity were made redundant following the winding down of Console last year, though many of the counsellors who worked there have been offered contracts with the Pieta House charity that is now operating Console's former helpline.

More probes into the goings on at the formerly Celbridge-based charity continue, while The UK charity regulator is also looking into Console's operation in London.