Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)

Will the report be made public because much information has been made public regarding the need for a law but there has been no sign of the law itself? In October 2003, we were informed that the charities (regulation) Bill would come before the House in the final quarter of that year. In January 2002, it was promised for October 2003. In May 2003, it was promised for late 2004. The dates varied from September 2003 to January 2004. In April and September 2004 it was promised for 2005. In January, it was suddenly announced that the legislation would come before the House this year, but 2005 is almost over. In April 2005 it was promised for 2006. According to the latest legislative programme, which we were given at the start of this session in September, there was no indication as to when this Bill is likely to come before us.

The charities (regulation) Bill has been promised since 1980 but three previous Governments have failed to deliver on it. We now seem to be in a limbo because we do not even know when it will be published. The Minister has been quoted as saying that it is major legislation which cannot be dealt with overnight. It could have been done sometime between 1980 and 2002. What is causing the delays? Do we even have the heads of a Bill at this stage? Is June 2006 a feasible date for the introduction of this legislation? I fear that when we receive the next legislative programme at the end of January, we will see either an indeterminate date or possibly some date in 2007 for this Bill's publication.

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