A HSE spokesperson said this includes “consideration of further compliance or assurance measures, engagement with HSE teams, and assessment of any additional actions required.”
The “file review is ongoing,” they said. The HSE provides funding of around €6m a year to the service.
Earlier this week the Wicklow-based service Autism a Chara, which runs nine residential centres and other services for people with autism in Dublin, Kildare, Wexford and Wicklow, said it was always upfront and transparent regarding the transfer of funds – known as a recharge – for shared services such as human resources and information technology to the wider UK organisation.
An earlier review around similar allegations nearly six years ago involved an auditor who found the movement of funding was “value for money”, the Autism a Chara spokesman said.
Earlier this week the HSE said: “The HSE did not approve, nor was it notified in advance or retrospectively of any transfer of HSE-funded monies or assets by Autism Initiatives Ireland to UK-based or other external entities.
“Autism Initiatives Ireland advised the HSE in January 2026 that it was transitioning away from the Autism Initiatives Group in the UK and will become a wholly Irish-based charity.
“The HSE acknowledges the seriousness of the matters raised and will continue to engage with the Public Accounts Committee and relevant statutory partners as appropriate.”
Autism a Chara told the Irish Independent on Thursday: “HSE has funded the activities of Autism Initiatives Ireland for over 17 years. Throughout this period, we have fully complied with their monthly, quarterly and annual monitoring and reporting requirements. These are constantly checked and scrutinised by the HSE.
“Our annual accounts and balance sheet are also published and readily available.
“We work closely with HSE and we welcome the review of everything that we have provided under the terms of our contract throughout this period.
“Throughout our contract with HSE, we have been overt in presenting our organisational structure as part of a UK-based group. As part of this group, core operating functions, such as HR, legal, insurance, IT and finance are centrally sourced by all operating divisions, via this UK-based parent company. We have always been transparent about this.
“Concerns in relation to the recharge to a UK company were raised previously in 2029 and at that time, an independent auditor found that there was “no substance” to the concerns and that the processes regarding recharging were “robust and represent value for money”.
“In March 2026, as a result of divergence between the Irish and UK governance and regulatory environments for disability services, Autism a Chara was moved out of the UK Group and core services are now being locally resourced in Ireland.
“We have been in contact with the HSE, with whom we have had a long and trusted relationship, and we look forward to co-operating fully with their review.”
