Ms Katherine Licken:

Yesterday, the Irish Equity group met the Minister to discuss the same issues. A power imbalance is an issue. The Chairman has spoken about issues being brought to the WRC and what one would do. The prior step to that is that people feel they can approach the WRC. We hear about the claims in the first instance.

From the Department's perspective, we fund the bodies under the aegis of the Department and we also fund different entities across the spectrum. All recipients of State funding, either directly from the Department or through an intermediary funding body, are subject to the provisions of the grant circular that is provided by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, DPER. The circular relates to public financial management principles and procedures, and it has reporting requirements. The bodies that operate under the aegis of the Department are required in their annual report and accounts to assure us that they have complied with the law, which includes the legislation that we are talking about today.

In approving capital grants, recently we have attached provisions for the new governance code that arose out of the charities sector. Again, we encourage organisations along the journey rather than, as the Irish Equity group said, wield a hatchet straight away. We can withhold funding in the same way that the Arts Council can if we feel that a body has not complied with the various points of law.