Seanad Éireann · 2024-07-04
Party shown is the one held on 2024-07-04, frozen at parse time — not the speaker's party today.
On trustees of a charity, is it the Charities Regulator that will decide if there are breaches relating to a trustee? Issues can come to the regulator's attention when complaints are lodged by a member of the public or anyone else with the Charities Regulator. I extend my thanks to the Charities Regulator, which has worked closely with my Department in the preparation of this important legislation.
The passing of this Bill is an essential step to enhance and strengthen the existing framework for the Charities Regulator to conduct its statutory functions, ensuing more proportionate regulation for the sector and reflecting the reality on the ground. At its core, the Bill will ensure that our charities legislation is fit for purpose so that the vital work of our charities can advance and flourish. It is a very important Bill from the perspective of charities.
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome the representatives of the Mayo Roscommon Hospice group, who do enormous work. They are guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon. We also have 20 guests of Deputy Seán Haughey who are here from the United States of America. They are also most welcome and I thank them for coming to Seanad Éireann.
On trustees of a charity, is it the Charities Regulator that will decide if there are breaches relating to a trustee? Who oversees cases where a trustee might have to step aside or vacate their responsibilities as a trustee?
I thank the Senator for his question. Primarily it is the collective responsibility of a board of trustees. Issues can come to the regulator's attention when complaints are lodged by a member of the public or anyone else with the Charities Regulator. The regulator can engage collectively with the organisation if there are concerns around whether there has been proper governance. If the regulator is to be engaged, it would usually need to be brought to the regulator's attention unless there is something obvious in terms of annual returns where the regulator can proactively engage.
When is it proposed to take Report Stage?
Now.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
When is it proposed to take Fifth Stage?
Now.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
Would the Minister of Stage like to say a few words?
I take the opportunity to record my thanks to all Members who engaged as part of the wider deliberative process. I extend my thanks to the Charities Regulator, which has worked closely with my Department in the preparation of this important legislation. In particular, I acknowledge the contributions of the community and voluntary sector, including The Wheel, the Charities Institute Ireland and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. I would also like to record my appreciation to officials in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel and the Bills Office respectively.
The passing of this Bill is an essential step to enhance and strengthen the existing framework for the Charities Regulator to conduct its statutory functions, ensuing more proportionate regulation for the sector and reflecting the reality on the ground. I am glad to introduce the advancement of human rights as a charitable purpose for the first time and the amendments contained will also ensure greater transparency, clarity and fairness - all actions which will serve to enhance public confidence in the charities sector, a sector which is such an important and valued part of Irish society. At its core, the Bill will ensure that our charities legislation is fit for purpose so that the vital work of our charities can advance and flourish.
I thank the Minister of State for being here with his staff and for clarifying issues today and previously. We all know there are 11,400 charities on the register and it is really important that everything is run properly and well. There has been great agreement across the House on this Bill. I have been speaking to people in the charities sector. The Minister of State clarified issues for me the last day and when I showed them the material on this Bill they were extremely happy about it. It is a good step in the right direction. We need to have absolute transparency in all these issues. With that number of charities we have to make sure that everything is run properly.
As always, I thank the Bills Office for all it does.
I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy O’Brien, on bringing this Bill through the House. It is a very important Bill from the perspective of charities. It gives power to the regulator to oversee that charitable organisations are run on an efficient and above-board basis.
Over the years, we saw many charities which had fundraising with church-gate collections. Now we see less and less of that because there are fewer mass times and fewer people going to work. When you had collections at church gates or whatever, you knew who was involved in those charitable organisations to a large degree. As Senator Murphy said, there are more than 11,000 charitable organisations in the country so we do not know who the organisations are. The public needs to have confidence in them. They need confidence to contribute and that the charitable organisations are carrying out what they are supposed to do. There is a great onus on the boards and trustees of those charitable organisations. As the Minister of State said, through this legislation the regulator will have power to oversee a lot of that. It is very welcome. It is very important for the public and for the organisations themselves.