The charity, operates 180 recycling banks across Ireland, collecting used clothes, shoes and textiles, which are sorted and graded for reuse.
It also operates nine charity shops and supplies clothes markets in international markets, primarily in Nigeria, Benin, India and Pakistan.
Shane McCarthy and Cormac O’Connor of KPMG were appointed as joint provisional liquidators on 27 October 2026, following an application by the Charities Regulator under section 74 of the Charities Act 2009 to wind up the organisation.
Grounds for winding up
According to a statement released by the Regulator, the application followed engagement with the charity’s trustees after a money-laundering investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) became public knowledge last week.
Gardaí seized luxury cars and goods valued at approximately €300,000 (£251,000) as part of the investigation, while the charity’s bank account was frozen.
The Regulator said there was “no evidence” that the charity’s trustees were involved in the activities under investigation.
However, it formed the view that there was “little or no effective management or oversight of the charity’s activities”, based on the trustees’ engagement and their response to the situation.
Financial concerns raised to the High Court
According to reporting from The Irish Times, the petition raised concerns about more than €1 million in additional fixed assets acquired by the charity between 2022 and 2025.
The newspaper reported that the petition stated the charity had acquired fixed assets totalling €1,052,028 (£880,795) over the four-year period, despite its financial statements making no mention of loans, lease finance or hire-purchase arrangements.
The Regulator also raised concerns about a Porsche purchased in 2025 and a BMW acquired in 2026 that were registered to a company called Liberty Developments.
The vehicles were in the possession and control of a senior employee of the charity, which the Regulator described as “highly irregular and deeply concerning activity for a charity”.
The Irish Times also reported that the Gardai have been investigating alleged suspicious international transfers of funds routed through the charity.
The Regulator further criticised the relationship between the charity and separate non-charitable corporate entities, describing it as a “complete failure of governance”.
The winding-up application will return to the High Court in November.
The Regulator said the appointment places executive control of the charity into independent hands, allowing transitional arrangements to be made to support its vulnerable service users and employees.
It added that the appointment would also enable the charity’s assets to be secured and, if possible, transferred to another charity with a similar charitable purpose.
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