Last Updated: June 2023
Epilepsy Ireland is dedicated to meeting the needs of people with epilepsy and their families. We aim to do this by providing a range of support & information services; offering training & education programmes for both people with epilepsy and health professionals; by improving public understanding of epilepsy; advocating on behalf of those affected by epilepsy and by supporting Irish research to help better understand and treat the condition.
We are grateful for all funding we receive to enable us to meet these objectives and we recognise that public trust in our work and performance is essential. We are committed to providing a high level of accountability and transparency about how we raise and spend our funds.
In 2022, as per the audited accounts for the year (the latest currently available), our total income was €1,530,040. This includes €12,520 in non-cash donations. The total ‘cash’ income therefore was €1,517,520.
Of the total income, €750,148 (49%) was in Section 39 grants from the Health Service Executive. This statutory funding is operated under regional service level agreements (SLAs) and we provide detailed annual reports to the HSE for each of these agreements.
We require additional funding from other sources in order to continue to provide our services and in 2022, €223,948 was raised through donations, memberships and legacies. This includes the non-cash donation mentioned above. A total of €171,750 was raised through other trading activities that included raffles, lotteries, campaigns, appeals and fundraising events. Total Fundraising income was therefore €395,698.
While total fundraising was down 7% compared to 2021, when adjusted for a significant one-off legacy donation of €100,000 in 2021, fundraising income showed a 22% increase in 2022 as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic began to lessen. However, fundraising income remains substantially lower than pre-Covid – for example, €594,762 was raised in 2019.
Income generating services including training services accounted for €172,196 in income, a 9% increase on the previous year. Non-HSE grants including those in relation to Training For Success (Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education Training Board); Covid Stability Fund and the Support Scheme for National Organisations amounted to €187,281. Investment & other income was €24,617 in 2022.
Our total expenditure in 2022 was €1,638,133, meaning that a deficit of €108,093 is reported. Of every €1 we spent in 2022, 87 cents went to direct charitable objectives, which consists of information & support (41c); training & education (21c); awareness raising (12c); advocacy (6c) and epilepsy research (7c). 13c of every euro was spent on fundraising. It is our belief that we extract maximum value for people with epilepsy, from every euro that we spend (please see Expenditure charts below).
The nature of our work, providing personalised support services to people with epilepsy and their families is highly dependent on direct staffing resources. We employ skilled, experienced service
and training staff to deliver on our objectives in these areas, supported by professional expertise in fundraising and administration. In 2022, the average number of employees was 22 (19 WTE), comprised of 15 in service delivery & training and 7 in administration & fundraising.
62% of all expenditure was pay-related in 2022. The average salary paid was just over €38,500 (€45,780 per WTE). No additional payments or bonuses of any kind are paid to Epilepsy Ireland employees apart from employer pension fund contributions (€54,539 in 2022). Total pay costs were c. €20,000 lower in 2022 compared to 2021 due mainly to a higher than normal rate of staff departures/ retirements.
Since 2016, we are reporting on all salaries over €60,000 in bands of €10,000 as per the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) for Charities. In 2022, one employee earned between €80,000 and €90,000; no employees earned between €70,000 and €80,000 and one employee earned between €60,000 and €70,000. Our Board members and members of our sub-committees are all volunteers who donate freely their time, skills and experience.
Epilepsy Ireland publishes audited accounts and an annual report each year. Since 2014, our financial statements are prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) for charities and the FRS 102 accounting standard. In line with good practice, a tender process for audit services was undertaken in 2022, resulting in the appointment of Mazars as our new auditors.
If you have any questions on our sources or use of funds, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@epilepsy.ie.
