John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

This grouping includes amendments made on the basis of legal advice, principally to clarify matters. One of my basic aims for the legislation was to make charities secure from takeover or from being undermined or misused by criminal or terrorist groups. It is vital this does not occur. Concerns were expressed by Senators during the passage of the Bill through the Seanad and similar concerns were previously raised in this House by Deputy Wall. I thank him for raising the matter in the first instance. I consulted with the Office of the Attorney General regarding any possible concerns that the existing wording in the Bill relating to terrorism could be interpreted as referring only to terrorism in this jurisdiction. While my advice is that the existing wording applies to terrorism in any jurisdiction, the amendment is put for the avoidance of any doubt.

Amendments Nos. 16 and 17 are similar, in that they clarify that section 37 subsection (2) and section 37 subsection (4), respectively, apply to consultative panels established under the direction of the Minister and according to that section. Amendment No. 59 clarifies that the powers of the authority under section 68 subsection (3) to obtain books, documents or records applies to both charitable organisations and charity trustees.

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