Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To pick up on Ms Delaney's final point, it highlights the importance of the Charities Regulator and its role. When people donate to a charity, they understand that there are administrative costs and staffing costs but they like to think that the money, or a large percentage of it, is doing what it says on the tin. The Charities Regulator is incredibly important in that. We have had a couple of very high-profile instances where people's money was not being used to best effect. The regulator's role as watchdog in that regard is very important.

I have few enough questions. Broadly speaking, we have an organisation here that has two clear audit opinions and is doing what it is supposed to be doing, but I have a couple of questions. First, to draw on the Comptroller and Auditor General's statement at the start, I do not much like this common investment fund. They say sunlight is the best disinfectant. I would like to be able to shed some light on the fund. We do not have oversight of that, as the Committee of Public Accounts, and nor does the Comptroller and Auditor General. I think the stated purpose is to support smaller charities, in particular, to invest collectively charitable funds that were not required for immediate use and to return a balance. That is fine and well - I do not mind the objective - but it is €41.6 million that I cannot have a look at. Is there any material barrier to that being consolidated into the charity funds account properly in order that the Comptroller and Auditor General can have oversight and then, by extension, we can have oversight of it?