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Investigatesagency feesLAST UPDATE | 8 Aug 2025
POLITICIANS HAVE CALLED on Fine Gael to carry out a full investigation into two of its councillors over their involvement in a recruitment company that has charged foreign nurses thousands of euro in “agency fees” to come and work in Irish nursing homes.
Two opposition politicians have put in a complaint to South Dublin County Council’s ethics watchdog about Baby Perappadan, a Fine Gael councillor for Tallaght South and a former mayor of the area, after a story by The Journal Investigates this morning.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said in a statement he would be making the complaint, stating that there are “serious questions to answer” for Tallaght Fine Gael Councillors Baby and Britto Pereppadan and Fine Gael over unlawful agency fees being charged to migrant nurses.
Independent Cllr Madeleine Johansson has also confirmed that she too has made a complaint to the Ethics Registrar of the council this morning.
Responding to an in-depth report by The Journal Investigates on the involvement of the two Tallaght Fine Gael councillors with a recruitment agency, Angel Care Consultancy Limited, and the charging of agency fees to at least three migrant nurses from India, Murphy said:
“Fine Gael Councillors Baby and Britto Pereppadan both have serious questions to answer. Fine Gael should also formally investigate them.”
The Journal Investigates has spoken to three nurses who say they paid thousands of euro in agency fees to Angel Care Consultancy Limited, on top of and separate to the money they paid for the standard expenses nurses face when coming to Ireland, including the fee associated with their visa, a work permit, the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) aptitude exam, the English language proficiency exam, and their plane tickets.
Pereppadan has said he was “totally unaware” that any such fee was being charged through his company.
Part of a recruitment fee requested of one of the nurses The Journal spoke with was transferred to the bank account of Baby’s son, Britto Pereppadan, who is also a Fine Gael councillor.
It is unlawful for an employment agency to require an applicant to pay an agency fee in respect of employment under legislation introduced in Ireland in 2012.
One nurse paid €3000 into Councillor Britto Pereppadan’s bank account, despite him having no formal involvement in Angel Care Consultancy, which is co-owned by his father, the former Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Councillor Baby Pereppadan.
The matter has been referred to the Indian police by the nurse involved.
Murphy said today that Councillor Britto Pereppadan must immediately make a full statement and answer questions from the media in relation to this payment as responses given to The Journal are not an adequate explanation.
The People Before TD called on Pereppadan to make a full statement on his involvement with Angel Care Consultancy and any other recruitment agencies he is involved with and answer questions from the media.
The Journal Investigates also reported that just last month Pereppadan told a prospective client of another recruitment agency he has been working with that ‘his political connections would help him to push through work permits for prospective employees in order to speed up the recruitment process’ and that he was ‘very close with Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris’.
Murphy said Harris must make a statement on this matter and Fine Gael should carry out a thorough investigation into the business dealings of both of its councillors.
Together with People Before Profit’s local councillors, Kay Keane (Tallaght South), Jess Spear (Tallaght Central) and Darragh Adelaide (Clondalkin) Murphy said he is writing to the South Dublin County Council Ethics Registrar today to request that they investigate whether the Fine Gael Councillors under code of conduct regulations.
Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin has said “these are very serious allegations against the individuals involved in the company, but also two prominent members of Fine Gael on South Dublin County Council”.
“In the first instance, they need to be fully investigated,” he said.
“But I have to say, the explanations from the individuals involved in the public domain simply don’t stack up. I don’t believe their response to the very legitimate questions from The Journal are credible, and therefore I would like to see a full and thorough investigation of these matters,” said the Sinn Féin TD.
Not only is charging the fees unlawful, but Ó Broin said such an action is “exploitation of very hard working migrant nurses in our health system”.
The case also raises questions for Fine Gael, he said, stating:
“Does Fine Gael think this type of behavior is acceptable. If it’s proven to be true, are they going to take any intermediary action against the two party members pending the outcome of the investigation.”
“Any form of exploitation of any worker, no matter their country of origin or their form of employment, is unacceptable,” added Ó Broin, who said Fine Gael needs to take action against their own members.
A spokesperson for Fine Gael said in response to queries:
“Councillor Baby Pereppadan has informed Fine Gael about an article appearing in The Journal relating to Angel Care Consultancy Limited.”
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