Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh seeks Dáil statement over Liberty Recycling probe

How the investigation developed

Liberty Recycling, which sorts textile waste for export and runs nine charity shops from Inchicore in Dublin, is at the centre of a money laundering investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau. The organisation was founded more than 25 years ago and also provides state-funded training to people in drug rehabilitation programmes. Investigators began their inquiry in 2025 after unusually large international transfers through the charity's bank accounts drew attention. The probe centres on senior personnel and on suspected laundering of criminal proceeds through the charity's accounts. Detectives later searched the home of a senior employee, where they found €34,705 in cash believed to belong to the charity, and they also searched its offices.

Garda searches of the charity's headquarters and outlets took place on 20 and 21 October. The Charities Regulator then petitioned the High Court, which appointed KPMG as provisional liquidator. The charity has since closed, just over 100 people have lost their jobs, its bank accounts are frozen, and its records and computers have been seized.

Seized assets and funding

Gardaí seized two BMW X5 cars with an estimated total value of €250,000, along with Louis Vuitton bags, Rolex watches and jewellery estimated at €40,000. Later analysis turned up a Porsche bought in 2025 and a 2026 BMW Jeep, both registered to a company called Liberty Developments and held by a senior staff member of the charity. Gardaí also questioned the number of vehicles the charity appeared to have bought. The charity received €537,080 from the department in 2024 and earned €3.6m from used-clothes trading, almost half of that income coming from abroad.

Two BMW X5 cars (estimated total value)250,000

Bags, watches and jewellery (estimated total value)40,000

Cash found at senior employee's home34,705

Two BMW X5 cars (estimated total value)

250000 EUR

Bags, watches and jewellery (estimated total value)

40000 EUR

Cash found at senior employee's home

34705 EUR

Data from the article text

Timeline of the case

The Garda unit's investigation started in 2025, and in July investigators briefed the Charities Regulator on plans for surprise raids. The searches of 20 and 21 October were followed by the court process that put the charity under a provisional liquidator. On Monday, 2 November, Ó Snodaigh submitted a request to the Ceann Comhairle to make a personal statement to the Dáil, and his party has not yet been given a date for it.

Political pressure and the Dáil request

Tánaiste Simon Harris renewed his party's call on Tuesday, 3 November, for Ó Snodaigh to address the Dáil, saying Sinn Féin would be demanding a statement if the matter involved any other party. Speaking on his way into Cabinet, Harris added that a refusal would be absurd.

“I think it would be rather absurd if he didn't make a statement to the Dáil.”

Sinn Féin's David Cullinane declined to respond to Harris directly but confirmed that Ó Snodaigh had written to Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy. Cullinane said Ó Snodaigh had engaged with the regulator and would make himself available to gardaí if necessary.

“We have to allow all of those investigations take their course.”

Harris argued that the Oireachtas has a duty to protect taxpayers' money, given that the charity received millions of euro in public funds. Ó Snodaigh is not under investigation, and the Charities Regulator has said none of the trustees are under investigation.

What the regulator and High Court found

The High Court heard that analysis of seized material had uncovered further large-scale irregularities. The Charities Regulator said it had found no evidence that the charity's trustees took part in the activities under investigation. It concluded, however, that the charity's activities had seen minimal real management or supervision, and it faulted the trustees' reaction as too slow as events unfolded.

The High Court also heard that Ó Snodaigh approved the creation of two related bodies that are not registered charities. The regulator's petition describes international fund transfers that did not match the level of activity at the charity, a point the Garda investigation has also pursued.