Dr. Oonagh Breen:

The purpose of the Act is to ensure there is greater accountability among charities and, as part of that process, know which charities exist and the purposes for which they are fund-raising. It comes down to confidence in and transparency of charities. This is particularly important when one considers the amount of money provided by the State through direct grants, as well as the number of people who contribute privately. It is an important sector and it should be properly regulated for the benefit of the charities doing a good job.