THE LIMERICK headquarters of controversy-stricken charity Bóthar have been sold as part of a cost cutting effort.
The international aid charity has been rocked in recent years by scandals over the alleged misappropriation of funds by former CEOs David Moloney and the late Peter Ireton.
In a statement to the Limerick Post, a spokesperson for Bóthar confirmed the sale of the Limerick property.
“Bóthar can confirm that its premises at Old Clare Street, Limerick, has gone sale agreed.”
“Given new ways of working post the Covid pandemic, the premises is considered surplus to the organisation’s needs and the search is underway for a new operational base,” the statement said.
In a spring 2023 letter from current Chief Executive Aideen O’Leary, the charity said the Limerick office on Old Clare Street had become “too large” for its needs.
“In our efforts to cut costs, we have decided to sell our Limerick office, which is now too large for our needs. This decision was not taken lightly, but we are confident that it will enable us to better focus on our mission and deliver more impactful programmes,” Ms O’Leary said.
The charity have not confirmed how much the Limerick headquarters was sold for, but according to the Irish Independent, it is believed to have sold for around €400,000.
Following the misappropriation scandal, Bóthar ceased fundraising while a review of its corporate governance structures was carried out.
However, the letter from Ms O’Leary said that the charity was now in a position to “recommence active fundraising”.
“After the fraud perpetrated against the charity was discovered, the previous board made the decision to halt active fundraising until the issue was resolved and the organisation was in a position to effectively monitor and manage income.
“As mentioned above, we have made substantial changes to our procedures and our governance and the new board believe we are in a position to recommence active fundraising,” the letter states.
Ms O’Leary also said that in March she had the opportunity to visit Kosovo to see first-hand the impact of the charity’s collaboration 25 years ago.
“As Kosovo marks 25 years since the start of the war, it is our intention to gift 60 in-calf heifers to Kosovan families this autumn,” Ms O’Leary stated.
The letter concluded by thanking the charity’s supporters for their ongoing dedication.
