Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

The Wheel also highlighted this issue and given that it represents 750 charities, this is a cause of major concern. The Wheel believes that the statutory organisation should remain entitled to seek inclusion in the proposed register. The Wheel is of the view that there is a need to protect the identity and independence of charities so that they are not all encompassed by the legislation.

I refer to the Minister of State's contribution and his comments on costings resulting from the legislation. The issue also arises in the context of the taxation of small charities. I am involved in a small voluntary organisation in Castlemitchell, Athy, but because it is a limited company, we must submit accounts. The company is run by an entirely voluntary group of directors and we try to attract small businesses to an old school that was given to the community. An annual profit of approximately €3,500 is made but the auditor's fee for doing the accounts is similar and nullifies what we gain.

A mechanism should be provided so that the accounts of smaller charities, in particular, could be verified in a way that will not result in a major cost to them. If that happened, the legislation, which everybody agrees should be implemented, would be more humane. The Jewell report also highlighted this issue. Volunteers who run small charities, especially those in receipt of low levels of funding, say this proposal will increase their workload. At a time when many volunteers are leaving such organisations, I wonders whether this proposed strict regime will further inhibit people from volunteering for charities and other organisations to the detriment of both rural and urban communities. It is great to make provision in legislation to ensure accounts are submitted and audited so that everything is transparent. However, if a number of charities cease to exist because people are no longer willing to volunteer and put their shoulders to the wheel to ensure the success of such organisations as a result of the red tape involved, it will be to the detriment of our society as we go forward.

This intricate Bill raises many other issues and we will table many amendments on Committee and Report Stages. Everybody wants it implemented and I hope we have a good, honest debate on Committee Stage. I also hope the Minister of State will give a good hearing to the issues we have raised on this Stage and that he will accept a number of our amendments.

When the Ceann Comhairle served as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, he introduced a Bill relating to the Red Cross. He proposed the establishment of an authority to oversee the Red Cross and I asked him to ensure the authority would be answerable to the House. He took that on board and said he would include a provision ensuring the authority would have to answer questions posed by Members of this House. Too many authorities have been established under various Acts which are not answerable to the Oireachtas. When I raised this issue with the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the context of the authority overseeing the inland waterways at a committee meeting during the previous Dáil, he stated that even though a provision was not included in legislation to insist the body replied to questions from Oireachtas Members, he always insisted that a written reply should be given to Deputies who tabled parliamentary questions.

All we seek is a secure mechanism whereby written replies will be provided to Deputies. The Ceann Comhairle, who was then the Minister responsible, included a provision in a Bill relating to the Red Cross to ensure this would happen. It is important, especially for Opposition spokespersons, that such a facility is in place. One can be asked a question by a constituent at any time where the only means of obtaining the answer is through a parliamentary question.

I look forward to Committee Stage of this Bill. My colleague, Deputy Michael D. Higgins, is particularly interested in aspects of the Bill, as are other Labour Party colleagues. We will be positive in our contributions and will help in every way in ensuring this important legislation goes through the House as quickly as possible.

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