Extern Ireland, a charity assisting vulnerable people, used public funding for services to provide âemergency hardship loansâ to staff members, which was used towards their childrenâs college fees, car tax and NCT and baby equipment, a financial audit has found. The internal HSE audit, dated January 21st, 2020, issued eight âhighâ ranked recommendations to the charity, which provides services to individuals facing a variety of difficulties such as homelessness, addiction, social exclusion and mental health problems. The report found that Extern Ireland issued âemergency hardship loansâ of up to â¬2,500 to staff in âexceptional circumstancesâ. However, when the audit reviewed the charityâs listing for loans, it identified loans listed for which paperwork could not be found by Extern Ireland or for which it was unclear whether the loan had been paid.