Peter McVerry Trust is committed to maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance.
The charity believes that setting and maintaining these high standards is a key element in demonstrating accountability to all stakeholders, funders and supporters. It also ensures that Peter McVerry Trust continues to provide the highest quality service to those in our care.
Corporate Governance Structures
Our Board of Directors comprises of ten directors with backgrounds in business, finance, risk, law, social inclusion, health and pastoral care. All directors are voluntary and receive no remuneration.
Fr Peter McVerry is a founding company director and holds the office of company secretary. He receives no salary, expenses or allowances, nor ever has, for his continued and valuable contribution to Peter McVerry Trust and its challenge to reduce homelessness.
The board meets a minimum of six times per year and has its AGM in May each year. It has overall responsibility to ensure that the governance of the organisation is in line with best practice and that all operational functions meet all requirements under current legislation, charitable and company law, and health and safety standards.
Accordingly, the Board mandates the CEO and Senior Management Team to bring before it an annual health and safety statement and annual risk audit for its approval and to carry out regular reviews of all policies and procedures.
There is a strict policy, and implementation of same, around the rotation of members of the Board of Directors. Peter McVerry Trust’s latest AGM was held on the 26th May 2022. At this meeting, the resignation of Board Directors Rob Ensor and Peter Birthistle took place. Our next AGM is scheduled for May 2023.
There are four committees that also report directly to the Board of Directors on a regular basis. These are;
- Finance, Audit and Governance
- Research and Services
- Human Resources (includes Remuneration)
- Housing Development
The Finance, Audit and Governance Committee meets six times per year and its members are Allison Coughlan (Chair & Board Member), Peter McVerry (Board Member), Deirdre-Ann Barr (Chair of Peter McVerry Trust), Denis O’Leary (Chair of Housing Development Committee & Board Member), Terry McCabe (Chair of the Human Resources Committee & Board Member) and Adam Ronayne.
The Research and Services Committee meets five times per year and its members are Patricia Bourke (Chair & Board Member), Peter McVerry (Board Member), Terry McCabe (Board Member), Alison Diamond, Doirbhile Flanagan and Gilbert Little.
The Human Resources Committee meets three times per year and its members are Terry McCabe (Chair & Board Member), Allison Coughlan (Chair of the Finance, Audit and Governance Committee & Board Member), Deirdre-Ann Barr (Chair of Peter McVerry Trust), Ciara O’Sullivan (Board Member), Denis O’Leary (Chair of Housing Development Committee & Board Member) and Terry McCabe (Board Member).
The Housing Development Committee meets three times per year and its members are Denis O’Leary (Chair & Board Member), Gilbert Little, Ollie O’Loughlin, Colin Smyth and Sean Downey.
Accounts and Audits
The Board of Directors views the financial governance of Peter McVerry Trust as one of its central functions and has a strict code of practice in relation to all fundraising practices and all income and expenditure within Peter McVerry Trust. The board also produced a financial procedures manual and corporate governance document (available below) both of which are reviewed annually.
In January 2019, Peter McVerry Trust established the position of internal auditor and the organisation’s first internal auditor was appointed. This position will further strengthen the financial practices and procedures within the organisation.
Peter McVerry Trust publishes its accounts on an annual basis (see below for our latest published accounts) and makes annual returns to the Company Registration Office (CRO). The charity’s accounts and financial reports also comply with the principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice, Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP), a legal standard for UK charities which leading Irish charities adopt in the absence of similar legal requirements in Ireland.
We also comply with the requirements set down by the Charity Regulator Authority and the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising created by the organisation Irish Charities Tax Research ICTR.
At its AGM on 26th May 2022, the Board of Directors appointed Hayden Brown Chartered Accountants, 34 Grafton Street, Dublin, as auditors of Peter McVerry Trust for 2022-2024.
Further to our own auditing procedures, Peter McVerry Trust is also subject to periodic and random audits by external organisations such as local authorities and other state agencies from which the charity receives funding. Peter McVerry Trust has a number of service level agreements with several government departments and is required to make quarterly and annual returns for funding received.
Peter McVerry Trust is a company limited by guarantee Registration Number 98934 and its Registered Charity Number is 20015282. For Revenue purposes, our CHY number is CHY7256.
Operational and Regulatory Standards
Several of the operational functions of Peter McVerry Trust have additional standards that must be met in order to run approved services. Peter McVerry Trust currently holds clinical governance approval from the HSE for its addiction services, and approval under Registration by Tusla Registration and Inspection Services for our residential childcare facilities. It also measures itself against Children First legislation.
In respect of homeless services Peter McVerry Trust is measured against the National Quality Standards Framework.
In respect of our activities as an Approved Housing Body Peter McVerry Trust operates under the regulatory framework of the Housing Regulator.
Salaries
Fr Peter McVerry founded the charity now known as Peter McVerry Trust in 1983. Fr McVerry has never received a salary, expenses or allowances for his continued and valuable contribution to Peter McVerry Trust in its challenge to reduce homelessness.
In 2005, Fr McVerry and the then Board of Directors took a strategic decision to appoint the charity’s first CEO who was tasked with developing the organisation in response to the growing homeless need.
The CEO has overseen significant growth since then and in 2022, Peter McVerry Trust worked with over 12,000 people. The charity has over 600 properties and growing, it now provides over 2000 residential placements per night and its operating budget for 2021 was over €46 million.
The CEO’s salary is in line with HSE pay scales and is aligned to point 4 for a HSE Director Regional Health Officer post under the Lansdowne Road Agreement. Peter McVerry Trust does not pay health insurance or provide the CEO with a company car nor is a fuel card provided. Peter McVerry Trust pays a 16% employer contribution to the CEO’s defined contribution scheme. There are no top-ups paid to the CEO, senior management team or indeed any Peter McVerry Trust staff member.
Peter McVerry Trust pays travel expenses in line with civil service rates to specific post holders who travel across sites and services around the country. The CEO is subject to this scheme. These are signed off by the company secretary and calculations are checked by the Peter McVerry Trust auditors.
Governance Related Publications
In 2010, Peter McVerry Trust’s Board of Directors agreed on the charity’s first Corporate Governance document. This document is reviewed on a regular basis and the most recent document was approved in 2018. This document is available below together with our most recent audited accounts and our most recent annual report.
- Corporate Governance Manual 2020
- Certificate of Incorporation for McVerry Trust Operations
- Peter McVerry Trust Constitution
Our latest annual report and accounts can be found below
