Fine Gael Asks PAC Chair to Summon Regulator and Department Over Liberty Recycling

Fine Gael members of the Public Accounts Committee have asked its chair, Sinn Féin TD John Brady, to summon the Charities Regulator and the Department of Social Protection to answer questions about Liberty Recycling, which received more than €2 million in public funding. The Irish Times reported the request on October 31, 2026.

Geoghegan's Request to Brady

The approach to Brady was made by Fine Gael TD James Geoghegan, a member of the committee. Geoghegan is understood to have raised concerns that the charity received more than €2 million from the Department of Social Protection in recent years, and how that money was audited by the department is likely to be a key question in any hearing.

Gardaí carried out a series of raids on premises used by the recycling and training charity last week as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering. The High Court subsequently appointed provisional liquidators, leaving the future of its 100 trainees and staff in doubt.

Liberty Recycling is an Irish social enterprise founded in 1995 that runs textile recycling through 180 donation banks and 9 charity shops while providing rehabilitation, certified training and work experience for people recovering from addiction. The charity is chaired by Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh, and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by him; he is not personally subject to investigation.

Fine Gael members are also believed to be concerned about the effectiveness of the Charities Regulator. They have expressed frustration that failures in oversight identified when the committee held hearings on serious financial mismanagement at the Peter McVerry Trust last year have apparently not been adequately addressed, according to The Irish Times.

Brady has been told the members would propose asking Ó Snodaigh and Liberty chief executive Philip Moloney to attend the committee once it does not interfere with the Garda investigation.

Liberty Recycling's Recorded Scale

According to akta.pro company records, Liberty Recycling scaled its headcount from 8 trainees to over 65 employees across multiple charity shops nationwide over 28 years of operation. The same records list 14,640 success stories of people helped through rehabilitation into mainstream employment and an annual textile recycling volume of 8,360 tons.

The organisation was originally set up under Merchant's Quay Ireland as a Community Employment scheme with 8 trainees, and it opened its first charity shop on Meath Street under that partnership arrangement.

November 5th Committee Meeting

The request is expected to be discussed in private when the committee next meets on November 5th, before members hold a public discussion on a Comptroller and Auditor General's report on the school transport scheme.