Aengus Ó Snodaigh seeks to make Dáil statement on charity under investigation

A Sinn Féin TD has asked for permission to make a personal statement to the Dáil over his chairmanship of a charity at the centre of a money laundering investigation.

The party said Aengus Ó Snodaigh had written to Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy on Monday evening and is in continued engagement with her on the matter.

Mr Ó Snodaigh is chairman of Dublin-based Liberty Recycling, a social enterprise focused on clothes recycling.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on his behalf and the Dublin TD is not under criminal investigation.

The money laundering investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau resulted in the seizure of luxury cars and goods with a value of about 300,000 euro, and the bank account of the charity being frozen.

On Tuesday and Wednesday last week, gardaí seized two BMW X5s and luxury goods including Rolex watches and Louis Vuitton bags in a number of searches as part of the probe.

The High Court has also appointed a provisional liquidator to the charity.

The Charities Regulator made an application to wind up the charity, Liberties Recycling Training and Development Company Limited.

The regulator said the appointment of a liquidator places executive control of the charity into independent hands “immediately to enable transitional arrangements to be put in place to support the charity’s vulnerable service users and employees”.

As part of its grounds for the application, the regulator said there is “no effective management or oversight of the activities of the charity by its trustees/directors”.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane said Mr Ó Snodaigh wants to “be part of accountability”.

He said: “I’m very conscious that Aengus got involved in his charity in the first instance for all the right reasons.

“As republicans, we are very active and rooted in our communities, and charities obviously play an important role in that – and obviously, that was Aengus’s motivation.

“I’m also conscious that there are a number of investigations, including a criminal investigation in which Aengus is not part of.

“But he’s very conscious of his role as a director, and obviously wants to play his part in relation to any investigations, he has already engaged with the regulator, he said he will make himself available to An Garda Síochána if that’s necessary, and any other investigations as well.

“I think we have to allow due process. We have to allow all of those investigations to take their course.”

The charity operates out of multiple locations and has a wider management team.

Taosieach Micheál Martin said on Tuesday: “That has a broader consequence in terms of the charity area more generally.

“People want confidence, and people need trust in charities. So the situation is very, very concerning, and obviously there are investigations under way, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s where I see it at the moment.”

Tánaiste Simon Harris said it would be “absurd” if Mr O Snodaigh did not make a statement to the Dáil.

“Could you imagine if this was any other party, what Sinn Féin would be calling to happen,” Mr Harris added.

“I think it would be really important that he provides a statement to the Dáil.

“Yes, the guards have a job to do, and that’s important and the Oireachtas should never cut across that, but the Oireachtas does have a very important job to do in terms of protecting taxpayers’ money.

“Remember, this is a charity that received millions of euro of your money, and we, the people’s representatives, have not only every right but every obligation to hear more in relation to that.

“I think this personal statement would be very helpful. I think would be appreciated by all, and obviously allow those parallel processes that are important in relation to gardaí and into their work take place separately.

“I do think if you’re a member of the Oireachtas who’s chaired a charity that has received millions of euro of taxpayers’ money, and there’s now significant public concern, I think it would be very helpful to provide further details of that, and I think that should be done today in the interest of trying to provide that.”