The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has said it is unable to explain how the money contained in a number of collectors' buckets submitted to its Dublin offices was underestimated in every case.
The society's chief executive, Mr Cian O Tighearnaigh, said a "fundamental review" of all procedures, including security procedures, would be carried out. He said there was "no systematic underpaying" of collectors. The society pays collectors commission of 20 per cent on money they bring in from street collections.
Mr O Tighearnaigh's comments came after the Sunday Business Post reported the amounts contained in 10 sealed collectors' buckets, submitted by the newspaper and containing known amounts of money, were underestimated in every case.
The amount contained in the buckets was £1,380 but the commission paid was calculated off a total of £1,215, a drop of almost 9 per cent. The newspaper said it had engaged lawyers to witness the money being placed in the sealed buckets. Records of the exercise have been handed over to the Garda.
In a statement last night the society said it was "taken aback" by the obvious extent of the investigation carried out by the newspaper, and the decision to publish the story on its front page. "The ISPCC is one of the most open and transparent charities operating in Ireland and has total confidence in the integrity of all staff involved in handling cash."
Asked if there was a possibility money was being taken from the buckets after they were handed in, but before the money was counted, Mr O Tighearnaigh said he was sure no such theft could occur.
Mr Pat Coyle, financial controller with the ISPCC, explained that when the sealed buckets are brought to the society's offices, they are brought to a room where they are opened with a special device and the money counted. "There would normally be at least two people counting the money," he said. Notes are counted by hand, and coins put through a counting machine.
The accuracy of this machine will now be tested, though if it was consistently making inaccurate counts, this would become evident when the money was being lodged in the bank.
The machinery would be checked today "though I can't see how a problem of that magnitude could arise", Mr Coyle said. The newspaper's findings "are obviously something that, at the moment, we find inexplicable ourselves".
Both Mr O Tighearnaigh and Mr Coyle said they had as tight a system of control as possible, though they would look at it again. They both said that, in an environment where it was increasingly difficult to find casual workers, any underpayment of collectors would be counter-productive.
The ISPCC last year raised £1.58 million, £206,855 of which came from flag day collections. It received "about £300,000" from the State, Mr O Tighearnaigh said. The largest outgoing for the society was paying 41 child care staff, nine fund-raising staff, and six administrative staff.
