DUBLIN CHARITY INNER City Helping Homeless is to be wound down, according to the charity’s former board chairman, David Hall.
Hall tweeted this afternoon: “Just left court 29 where Judge O’Moore has given the order to wind up Inner City Helping Homeless & appointing Kieran Wallace permanent liquidator. The judge mentioned the heroic efforts of staff and volunteers. A sad day.”
Speaking to The Journal, Hall said Wallace, the liquidator, is waiting to “engage with other organisations to try and transfer some of the stuff across, and to continue the work that was being done (by ICHH)”.
He added: “The ending was tragic. Excellent people, the best people I’ve ever worked with … provided brilliant work, but a set of circumstances arose that was tragic for everyone.”
The liquidation, Hall said, was “a natural progression”.
The impending liquidation comes after allegations of serious sexual abuse by the charity’s late chief executive, Anthony Flynn. Last month, Dublin’s Regional Homeless Executive called for the ICHH to be wound up.
The assets of the charity are estimated to be in excess of €1 million.
Abuse allegations
Claire O’Connor, a Workers’ Party Dublin Central representative, said she is calling for a Committee of Inspection to oversee the liquidation, “in order to ensure the assets of ICHH are in the first instance safeguarded to assist the homeless in Dublin”.
She added: “Surely now as a society we have learned that where such serious abuse allegations are made, particularly in relation to vulnerable groups, action must be taken to assist possible victims rather than any attempt be made to ‘circle the wagons’ which can allow abuse to continue or cause further harm to the alleged victims.”
An internal report released by ICHH in September detailed allegations of serious sexual assault by the charity’s former chief executive, Anthony Flynn, who died in tragic circumstances in August.
Former board chairman David Hall stepped down in August, saying that he was resigning due to threats being made to his safety.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said that Claire O’Connor was involved in the charity. She is a Workers’ Party representative but was never involved with ICHH.
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