Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I am anxious to allay any fears trustees might have. It is certainly not the Government's intention to make their task more onerous or to implement legislation that would prevent people becoming involved in charities as trustees. I take this opportunity to reassure people that the intention is that that part of the Act will be used judiciously. It will be of assistance in situations where the Revenue Commissioners are unable to carry out a review of a charitable body in the normal way, for example, where such a body is located abroad. It is not intended that such power will be used regularly.

Deputy Rabbitte referred to the Charities Act. The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is rolling out an implementation plan for the Charities Act 2009. I understand it has taken a number of years to be implemented in other countries. That will probably be the case here too. Some sections of it have already commenced, including regulation of the sale of presigned mass cards.

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