Still no clarity over Rehab pay despite State funding

MARTIN WALL

Rehab has received more than €250 million in public funds from State agencies over the past five years, but has declined to reveal how much its senior executives are being paid.

The bulk of its funding has come from the Health Service Executive, which gives money for rehabilitation and training programmes.

The remainder is drawn from the Department of Justice, which subsidises its lottery fundraising programme.

Rehab Group says no State funding or fundraising income is used to pay for senior management salaries or pensions.

Instead, it says, these are funded through commercial activity, which accounts for 60 per cent of its annual income.

HSE funding
Of the grant-aid it receives, the HSE provides about €50 million a year for rehabilitation and training.

Last year, for example, the executive gave €40 million to Rehab Care, the health and social care division of the organisation.

This is used to run resource centres, respite care and supported accommodation for people with disabilities.

A further €10 million was given to the National Learning Network, a training division of Rehab. This organisation is the largest non-governmental group and says it assists thousands of people to gain employment and develop skills.

In all, over the past five years, Rehab has received about €246 million in HSE funding alone.

Lottery fundraising
Rehab also receives money from the Department of Justice to subsidise its lottery fundraising operation.

Under the Charitable Lotteries Scheme, charities who claimed their fundraising was severely curtained by the arrival of the National Lottery have been provided with public money.

Rehab has by far been the biggest beneficiary of this arrangement, receiving an average of more than €5 million annually, or just over €80 million since the scheme was established.

This scheme is being wound down and is due to expire at the end of 2016. Almost 20 charities have benefitted under this scheme.

The salary of Rehab's chief executive Angela Kerins and other senior management has been a subject of considerable comment over recent years.

In April 2011, it “reluctantly” confirmed that Ms Kerins’ salary was €234,000, following what it described as “seriously inaccurate, wild and unfair speculation in the media”.

It was reported at the time that her full income package from the organisation – including expenses, a car and other benefits – was in the region of up to €400,000. The organisation has since declined to say how much Ms Kerins or other senior management staff are being paid.