Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We wrote to the Charities Regulator about this issue and we got a letter back that included documentation. To be clear, charities must register with the Charities Regulator and the organisation has the power to remove somebody from the register of charities. The letter reads:

It should also be noted that determinations in relation to charitable tax status are entirely a matter for the Revenue Commissioners ... the Revenue Commissioners are not bound by any determination of the Authority as to whether a purpose is of public benefit or not.

The term "Authority" means the Charities Regulator. We seem to have a parallel system. The Charities Regulator can register charities and the Revenue Commissioners can grant a tax status with no regard to the Charities Regulator. Is that a good thing? That is what I got from the letter.