The founder of Astronomy Ireland, David Moore, has been accused by a former manager of misappropriating funds intended for the scientific group from his speaking engagements, it was claimed. Moore, a familiar figure in media circles thanks to his astronomy knowledge, refuted the claims as “false” and characterised them as libel during a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) session on Friday.
The former manager, Sonya Martin, informed the employment tribunal that she felt compelled to resign following a fiery discussion where Moore asserted the club lacked a board. This belief led her to feel like a “fraud accomplice directed towards the State”, as she had requested grants under the assumption that there was a board in place.
The WRC is due to deliberate if all of Astronomy Ireland’s members will bear responsibility for Ms Martin’s allegations after Moore’s comment about the club’s legal standing being “questionable” as it existed without trustees as an “unincorporated society”.
Originally joining the organisation as an administrator in 2021, Ms Martin rose to manager in March 2022 before stepping down in July 2023. The Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994, the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, and the Sick Leave Act 2022 were all invoked in her formal complaints against Astronomy Ireland.
A hacking incident occurred on the Astronomy Ireland website shortly before their main yearly fundraiser in August 2022, according to Ms Martin. She expressed a desire to report the hacking to the local police due to data protection concerns but she claims Mr Moore dissuaded her. Mr Moore has denied that the website held any personal data.
Furthermore, Ms Martin declared that a colleague, Ms Doyle, approached her with concerns about individuals seeking paid speakers from Astronomy Ireland. She claimed that Moore was receiving this money himself, which should have been funnelled back into the organisation. According to her, these speaker fees constituted the primary income source for Astronomy Ireland and her attempts to address the situation were ignored.
Ms. Martin explored the possibility of financial inconsistencies within Astronomy Ireland, as she discovered that substantial funds that should have been allocated were missing over several years. It led to her seeking legal counsel from the Charities Regulator during her tenure. When she queried Mr. Moore regarding the club’s board existence, he surprisingly revealed that there was no existing structure apart from himself and a team of advisors.
This revelation came as a shock to Ms. Martin who had previously applied for governmental grants on the club’s behalf, which was based on the assumption of an operating directors’ board. She identified this as a fraudulent act which necessitated a board’s existence. Ms. Martin subsequently signified her resignation to Ms. T, a volunteer granted confidentiality during the hearing. Post a sick leave phase, she tendered her formal resignation the next year, as shared by her barrister, Alan Crann BL.
In a statement to the tribunal, Mr. Moore clarified that the club was duly registered as an employer with the Revenue Commissioners, who had voiced no objections to the arrangement. He expressed that the limited company was formed to safeguard the Astronomy Ireland identity. He brought up the instance of a substantial grant received from the defunct state training agency FÁS in the 1990s, which they were advised was properly authorized.
While admitting the arrangement’s complexity and possible legal ambiguity, Mr. Moore emphasized the club’s establishment as an unincorporated society, with the arrangements being primarily handled by volunteers.
Adjudicator Jim Dolan stated that he needed to determine the accountable party for the alleged statutory violations. He was considering the possible liability of each member of Astronomy Ireland, which he referred to as an unincorporated entity. He also mentioned writing to the club’s treasurer, accountant Willie McDonagh to testify at the proceeding. Mr. Dolan projected a tentative hearing in September, expecting the Workforce Relations Commission to rearrange the case.
Mr Moore subsequently voiced his thoughts, saying: “May I express a point specifically for the press witnessing this? We’ve faced a series of allegations; each one is untrue. There has been no misappropriation of funds, no fiscal misconduct,” he stated. Additionally, he confirmed that “no private information” was stored on the website of Astronomy Ireland.
Mr Crann noted, “Mr Moore, the meeting has been postponed.”
“We’ve been subjected to defamation, in my view,” retorted Mr Moore.