Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I read the letter a number of times. I have seen other documents where explanations were given, but this letter is not helpful at all. It needs to come to us in plain language and spell out exactly what the board is talking about. We will ask about the other points as well, including those the Deputy just raised regarding the review.

The next category of correspondence is correspondence from and related to private individuals and any other correspondence. There are three items of correspondence, which we will discuss together.

No. 1574C is correspondence from Deputy Hourigan, dated 11 November, and No. 1577C is correspondence from Deputy Carroll MacNeill, dated 15 November. Both items were held over from last week. We also have a related item from Deputy Carthy, No. 1601C. That is dated 24 November. A number of those pieces have come in together. The items concern the Charities Regulator and the alleged operation of a body as a charity that is not registered as such. I understand that the same matter was raised at a meeting of the previous Committee of Public Accounts. Members will see that from the Committee of Public Accounts in November 2019.

I ask that Members keep in mind the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. At our meeting last week, we agreed to request the Charities Regulator to respond to the matters raised. For the committee's information, Deputy Catherine Murphy submitted parliamentary questions on foot of similar correspondence she received and the responses were circulated to members of the committee before last week's meeting. I will open the floor to Deputy Catherine Murphy, who is the only one I see present out of that group. Does the Deputy wish to come in on that?