Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

I compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey, and Deputy Ring on the assumption of their respective portfolios. It has been fascinating to listen to both of them. Largely, there seems to be much common ground between them on this Bill. This is a good Bill and it is important it is accepted as such. What is even more important is that the democratic process applies here to ensure that what is a good Bill turns out to be an excellent one and, ultimately, an excellent charities Act. It is 45 years since the last Charities Act and, therefore, this Bill is long overdue. I recall Judge Declan Costello chairing a committee which produced a report in 1990 — 17 years ago — indicating the urgent need for reform. I am glad that after this long period of gestation, the Bill has been produced.

This is a detailed and complex Bill with, as the Minister of State mentioned, 85 sections and two Schedules, one of consequence. I have a major suggestion to make in support of the points raised by Deputy Ring. After the Bill was published, a detailed submission was made by the charities regulation study group. It is largely supportive of the Bill but raised a raft of concerns, a lot of them minor, but some not so minor, in an effort to provide an input to ensure the final product is the best possible.

The best way to handle this Bill is that after Second Stage — I have no doubt it will, in principle, have the support of all in this House — it should be referred to committee and that bodies such as the charities regulation study group and other interested parties should be invited before the Oireachtas committee to indicate their concerns about different aspects of it and their proposals on how the detail might be improved. Only then should we proceed with Committee Stage. If that is done, there is a very good chance we will end up with an outstanding charities Act.

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