Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I think that is unfair. This was the decision of Government following due and careful consideration. The key rationale for the transfer is that the Department of Rural and Community Development has specific responsibility, as stated in the title, for community development. I felt, as did ministerial colleagues, that it would be appropriate to vest policy responsibility for the community and voluntary sector as a whole in that Department. It is clear that many community and voluntary sector organisations are registered charities. It was considered that there would be certain synergies in transferring responsibility for the charities sector and its regulation to that Department. The Chairman and members of the committee will be aware that the Department of Justice and Equality has almost 30 agencies attached to it. I recommended, and Government agreed, that the functions of the Charities Regulatory Authority and the Charity Appeals Tribunal would be a better fit in that new Department.