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Dublin: 5 °C Friday 24 May, 2013

More than half of ISPCC staff take unpaid leave

The charity said it is €500,000 behind target despite salary cuts across the board this year.

Image: stephanski via Flickr

CHILDREN’S CHARITY THE ISPCC has that confirmed more than 55 percent of its staff take some form of unpaid leave to cut down on costs.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Caroline O’Sullivan Director of Services at the ISPCC said the charity has seen a “major impact” by the recession on donations from the public and corporate support of the last few years.

“At the moment we’re €500,000 behind where we want to be and we’re managing to provide what we can but we can forsee it being very difficult in the next year,” she said.

The ISPCC made nine staff members redundant last year and said all staff were subject to salary cuts in a bid to save on running costs.

“The level of work we’re doing has been reduced and there will be additional pressures over the next few years but we’ve come through recessions before,” she said.

This week, Barnardos closed offices and services in an attempt to cut down on costs. O’Sullivan said Barnardos’ decision to close for a week “brought attention to the plight of charities” and said the ISPCC has already seen an increase in the number of people registering for their next big event, the Cheerios Breakfast.

O’Sullivan called on people to keep donating and said “regardless of what they can give, we will use it and make best use of it”.

Related: Outlook for charities is ‘questionable’, say advisers>

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Comments (19 Comments)

  • Charities have become a major employer and industry over the past twenty five years and were the recipients of uncontrolled Government funding for far too long. In many cases these organisations mirrored or duplicated work done by the State or carried out work that the State should have done itself. The unpleasant aspects of this industry were and are the huge salaries paid to Senior Managers and CEO’s and the influence they have on public policy. Maybe a cull on these quangos will be self inflicted rather than carried out by the State and a cause of bitter public debate as each of these organisations employ skilled communications people.

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    • Mick, I agree with you. Last November , or thereabouts, I wrote to the Editor, Irish Times suggesting they do an investigation into how many cents per Euro donated, gets to the intended recipient. Between salaries, allied expenses (and insome , international cases, corruption) how does my Euro go? I got a nice email back saying what was raised was interesting (the letter was not published) andthathe would investigate and see. Since then ,zilch. It is , I believe, a cause of concern as to what salaries are paid, what commissions are paid etc. In the case of overseas aid can we estimate how much is lost to corruption? We all know/suspect it is there , but to what degree. A prudent person , in these tough times, would want to know the answers before opening the wallet.

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  • I would imagine it is the rank and file people on the ground who have to do this and not the higher paid executives. I do see the idea to get the better staff you have to pay more, this is fair. But like ministers and their assistants(cough) it should be capped to a certain extent. I think what riles people when they hear of these large salaries being paid to heads of charities is the fact that the people these big earners are advocating for are penniless and the contrast is galling.

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    • Anne , over €200k to run a Charity ??????????????????

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    • A very elderly woman of my acquaintance received a phone call from one these well known charities and she agreed to make a donation by purchasing some tickets. The tickets arrived in the post and she filled out the stubs and returned them with the money. She was happy as she believed she had contributed to a worthy cause.

      But this was just the start of an onslaught of phone calls and letters from other charities eager to take advantage of this old lady’s generosity.

      The suspicion is that the info was shared out or was it the same outfit who were gathering cash for multiple organisations.
      The lady concerned is now very wary as she realises she was targeted.

      The large wage bill has to be covered and professional fundraisers do not have much charity in them, especially when it comes to extracting money from old ladies.

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  • Charities in Ireland are big business these days! It’s impossible to walk through any town centre or shopping mall without someone trying to get you to part with cash! Then you have the endless stream of kids knocking on your door looking for sponsorship. I’m at the stage where I can’t tell who’s for real anymore!

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  • “In many cases these organisations … carried out work that the State should have done itself. The unpleasant aspects of this industry were and are the huge salaries paid to Senior Managers and CEO’s ”

    And if the State WAS doing this work, which obviously in most cases it should be (what is the State for if not to provide for its most vulnerable children?), there’d be no need for the charities and the salaries paid to CEO’s would be paid to senior civil servants instead. Unfortunately the State is unlikely to receive voluntary donations or huge amounts of voluntary labour, so taxes would have to go up. Always a popular move.

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  • CEO’s didnt take a cut i see, just the staff?

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  • So what is the average income of these employees? The thought of being able to take unpaid leave??? Hence the question marks.

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    • Good comment Peter or indeed a question to which you won’t get the answer. Sometime if you get a chance take a visit to the Irish Cancer Society and have a look at all the Charities that come under its wing. It’s like a multinational company with a myriad of subsidiaries and all the associated departments including Communications. Then have a look at the Irish Patient Association and ask yourself how many members they have and the answer will surprise you and then ask who appointed the Chief Executive or Spokesperson and you will find that he did and then ask if the State gives them money and on and on it goes.

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    • Over 50% of what the charity receives in donations go to pay for salaries in the ISPCC.

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    • The Irish Examiner made a number queries in relation to the kind of packages offered to the chiefs executive of some of our leading charities. Out of 24 surveyed, six refused to release the information, mainly on the basis that they do not disclose individual details. The ISPCC was one of the 6 charities that refused to release the information. The Chief executives are on a very good salary for working for a charity……

      http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/kfgbidgbqlgb/rss2/

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    • Rehab CEO has a salary of €234,000. Is there anyone out there that can justify this kind of money? I am starting to think this is one of many charities out there. Not to mention regional managers on a mere €100,000 plus per year. It seems to go on & on.

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  • Reg 15/08/12 #

    At least they get the time off! Not like the countless small business owners in this country that are still working away for little or no pay just to keep their businesses going.

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  • I see 1 red thumb!!!! There is someone out there to explain the humble incomes of the few chosen one’s!!!!

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  • sorry to see this happening

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  • I worked in the ISPCC during Cian O’Tighearnaigh time!

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