A CONTROVERSIAL government-funded charity for survivors of institutional abuse is set to open offices in Galway, Waterford, Limerick and Cork, according to a newsletter published by its new board of directors.

Right of Place in Cork will continue to be funded despite claims that government money — and money donated by religious orders and bishops — was not filtering down to members.

Concerns have been raised continuously over the past 12 months by members, other survivor groups and opposition politicians.

Right of Place has been funded to the tune of at least €2.4 million by the HSE since 2002, with a further €1m coming from the Department of Education.

A large portion of this money was spent on wages and expenses. At one stage the charity had 18 staff, including cooks and security personnel.

However, there is no known record of how hundreds of thousands of euro donated by dioceses and religious orders, such as the Rosminians, was spent and the amounts were never recorded in audited accounts.

Late last year a new treasurer, Tom Brennan, said he could find no “record or evidence” of how anyone except a select inner circle benefited from the charity over a 10-year period.

Shortly after his appointment to the new board of directors, Mr Brennan resigned as he said he could not get answers to the questions he was asking.

However, in a recent newsletter to its members, Right of Place says Mr Brennan stepped down for “personal reasons”.

“I would like to make it very clear I did not step down for personal reasons,” he told the Irish Examiner. “This is more of the bluff and bluster from the new board and I want to put the record straight.”

The newsletter also attacks the Irish Examiner for “pursuing agendas” which it says have caused pain and hardship to survivors.

Ironically, the newsletter offers VEC computer courses, despite the fact that the Right of Place website was discontinued in recent months.

Meanwhile, the Irish Examiner has been contacted by several people who say they never signed up to be members of Right of Place but somehow ended up on the organisation’s database.

A Magdalene survivor in her 70s, living in the US, requested to be taken off the database in 2009 but got no reply and still receives correspondence.

The woman says she never signed up to be a member of Right of Place and the only person she gave her details to was a solicitor travelling in the US with the charity’s founder Noel Barry.

The woman said her concern was that someone had given her private and confidential information to the organisation without her permission.

Right of Place claims to have 1,500 members and has been funded accordingly.

Former treasurer Mr Brennan said he asked to see a database of survivors on several occasions but said he was never given access to it.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, February 07, 2011

The Christmas newsletter from the ‘Privately Owned Company’ , “Right of Place Buildings Project Limited” , ( Not Renamed: “Right of Place Second Chance Limited ” ), tells us only part of the truth.

Those of us who have fought for accountability within the “Privately Owned Company”; that was pretending to be, a “Self Help Organisation of Survivors, For Survivors” .
Must, once again inform you of the facts.

Yes, a new Board of Directors was Elected/Appointed by some of the members and, with the blessing of the HSE.

Upon appointment to the Board, Mr. Michael Walsh took up the Chairmanship.

This is the same Mr. Michael Walsh, who was appointed by the Hse on-to ( The ‘Steering Group’; ) that was to oversee, true democracy and integrity ( i.e. lack of corruption ), in the election process of the New Board of Directors.

Congratulations Michael; you got yourself elected Chairman, of the Board of Directors of the Privately Owned Company, ‘Right of Place Buildings Project Limited’.

The other members elected to the new Board of Directors are:

Mr Patrick Cleasy Director/Secretary
Mr Thomas W Brennan Director/Treasurer
Mr Thomas Wall Director/PRO
Mr Martin Duffy Director/Public Liaison Officer.

As we all know, the positions of Secretary and Treasurer on the Board of Directors of any company, carry with it, great responsibility.

These two positions, above all others, require persons of high caliber and integrity.

In trying to achieve Full Financial Accountability and Full Support for Survivors, the Treasurer and Secretary were left with no option but, to resign from the new board.

The Chairman of The Board, ( Did Not ) support his Treasurer and Secretary, on issues of accountability and governance.

Instead of supporting his new board members, the Chairman allowed himself to be influenced, or swayed, by Mr. Noel C. Barry; plus, he sought the council of members outside the board.

The only thing achieved by holding Phony elections, was to replace one Dictator, Mr. Noel C. Barry, with another, Mr. Michael Walsh.

The Chairman obviously had no trust, in the board members who appointed him.

There never was, nor will there be, any honest, truthful, explanation as to why his Treasurer and Secretary resigned.

Mr Walsh, Please explain if you would be so kind. I know all Survivors would like an explanation from you.

Now the Chairman is going to ‘Co-opt’ two new directors, on-to the board; as stated in his Christmas Newsletter.
Within company law, he is of course, fully entitled to do this.

After all, it is, a ( “Private Owned Limited Company” ) funded by the Hse and, Mr Michael Walsh is the Chairman of the Board; just like Mr. Noel C. Barry was.

I would like to inform all Survivors, who believe that they are members of a self help group of survivors, run by survivors, for survivors, ( That, This, is Not True. )

Your names are being used by a Limited Company called, “Right of Place Buildings Project Limited, disguised, as a self help group for survivors”; to obtain funding on your behalf.

On the 14th of November 2009 at the Metrapole Hotel Cork; an overwhelming majority of Survivors, voted on a Constitution, for a “Self Help Group of Survivors”, called, “Right of Place/Second Chance”.

The Constitution, gave Rights to its membership.

Especially those, who wished to be associated with a,
“Self Help Group of Survivors”, “ Run by Survivors” , “For Survivors”.

Thirteen months later, the HSE, and the new Board of Directors of the Privately Owned Company; “Right of Place Buildings Limited” , have replaced one dictator with another.

All done legally, within ‘company law’.

Once again you and I have “NO SAY WHATSOEVER”.

The Cork and Kerry branches of the company no longer exist.

The chairman will pick his board of directors and you and I cannot stop him, ‘under company law’.

He could not do this, if the members had a Constitution, which prevented it.

Board members “should be elected and not appointed”; because they are the ones “we choose” to represent us.

The only course open to you and I, is to inform the company,
“Right of Place Buildings Limited”, that you want, and Demand, your name taken off their database.

With no membership, Funding Ceases. Then we will see how many True Volunteers exist, and, are not in it, just for the money.

We can then go forward as a self help group of survivors, run by survivors, for the benefit of survivors, With a Constitution.

Thank you for your help, in trying to get honest representation and support for survivors.

Everybody wants a properly run Survivor group. There is no question about that whatsoever. Including myself. But if you knew about, or saw the way, the ( So Called Elections ) to elect a new Board of Directors, were conducted, I’m sure your Point of view would be so much different.

I have no problem supporting any ( PROPERLY & DEMOCRATICALLY ) elected group to run Right of Place. Other Survivors, and including myself offered on numerous occasions to assist the old Regime in Right of Place to fulfil tasks, and other assignments that they may have needed help with. Unfortunately you seen what happened to that Regime, and no doubt there will be a lot of questions, and answers, arising from that in the near future.

I questioned who you were, as i was having discussions with one ( Mr Michael Walsh ) the newly (So Called Elected Leader of Right of Place) and after my last posting, which i am sure you have read, i assumed it was the same person writing again on the site replying to my posting, but writing his first name in Irish, to try and confuse me, and let on it was someone else, rather than himself.

So, if i have offended you in any way, i deeply apologise, and i can assure you, ( IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION )

I am not going to go into big detail at this point regarding the elections that took place earlier in the year, or indeed the way they were run,, but believe me, they were a total disgrace, as i am sure anyone that attended them will be able to clarify.

I would love to assist any Survivor group, But as far as Right of Place is concerned, and the people who run it. There is a very big question mark hanging over it, and no doubt, the people who run those Offices on Lower Glanmire Road know only too well where i am coming from, that is why I withdrew my support and details from there.

The way I see it, Michael, I do (Not ) look on anybody in that place in Lower Glanmire Road, to be Legally and Rightfully elected to the positions they hold, Regardless of how much they want to try and change anything.

I have asked Mr Walsh, and Mr Noel C Barry, on numerous occasions over the past couple of years to assure us, as Survivors, that everything that was happening in Right of Place was honest and above board, and that all the events splashed all over the Media was untrue. Alas, all we got was SILENCE, and we were Totally Ignored.

I think as Survivors, we all have the right to ask questions of what is being done in our names. Would you not agree? I don’t think it is too much to ask.

But i will not be silenced, or shut up by someone who may think i know too much for my own liking. No Sir, that is when i will dig my heels in. I put up with that carry on in Industrial Schools for nearly 15 years, and i have my fill of it, i can assure you. Enough is Enough.

All i will say is, during those ( SO CALLED ELECTIONS ) the will of the people were in NO WAY listened to, or Respected, and i have no doubt Michael, if you had been there with us looking in where we were, you would know exactly where i was coming from. The elections were pushed through, the way the Old Regime wanted them done, with the sole intentions of making sure, the people taking over, were the ones they wanted installed.

I do hope i have clarified my point now. Mossie