Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Paul Donnelly. I listened closely to the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL's, contribution at the committee last week. I am to give some reassurance that under the Charities Act 2009 registered charities may engage in activities to promote a political cause provided it relates directly to the advancement of the charity's charitable purpose, is not contrary to the charity's governing document and does not promote a political party or candidate. Of course we are also proposing to add the promotion of human rights to those viable charitable purposes. Any provision introduced in the Bill will ensure that those organisations who may seek to register under the advancement of human rights are not disadvantaged in their right to carry out such political activities once successfully registered. The human rights provision will I hope be in the legislation. The guidance document the ICCL was concerned about is further down the scale. Guidance is guidance; it can be altered or changed. Now that the concern has been raised we will look at that as the legislation progresses. It is also a concern I would be sensitised to. I will watch out for that but once we have that provision in law as a charitable purpose, we have the basis for clearing a way there for organisations where political lobbying is part and parcel of what they do and a big part of their reason for existence.