One of the country’s leading suicide charities has suspended an employee over allegations of financial irregularities.
The Irish Association of Suicidology said yesterday it was carrying out an internal investigation into “a suspected financial irregularity by an individual over a short period of time”.
The gardaí have also been called in after the association received advice from its lawyers and insurers.
In a statement, it said an employee had been suspended pending the completion of this investigation.
“Investigations are ongoing and we are precluded from discussing the matter further,” said Dr John Connolly, secretary of the association.
He was speaking on behalf of the board after it held an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss the allegations.
The president and co-founder of the association is Fine Gael TD Dan Neville and the patron is President Michael D Higgins.
Mr Neville, along with Dr John Connolly and the late Dr Michael Kelleher, founded the organisation in 1996 to inform, educate and promote positive suicide prevention policies throughout the island.
The late Dr Kelleher, a psychiatrist based at UCC, pioneered Irish research into suicidal behaviour.
This led to the establishment of the National Suicide Research Foundation in Jan 1995, shortly after the decriminalisation of suicide.
