Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

An inclusive, consultative approach has been adopted by my Department from the outset of the initiative to introduce a regulatory framework for charities in Ireland. In fact, the original Charities Bill was published only after an extensive public consultation process. As Deputy Ring is aware, this consultative approach continued during the passage of the Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas when many amendments were made to the Bill on the basis of views expressed by Members of both Houses and by the charities sector. I have no doubt that this open, consultative approach taken at all stages of the development of the legislation and its passage through the Oireachtas helped to improve the Bill substantially and contributed to the fact that the Act was broadly welcomed.

Now that the legislation has been enacted, I am committed to further consultation with the charities sector, especially in respect of of the financial and activity-related information charities will be required to provide to the proposed charities regulatory authority on an annual basis, a matter of considerable interest to the sector.

This process has already started in the framework of a wider consultation process being conducted by the Accountancy Standards Board, ASB, for the UK and Ireland relating to the future of UK and Ireland generally agreed accounting principles. The outcome of the Accountancy Standards Board process is likely to inform the approach taken to financial reporting for charities in Ireland as well as the UK. To ensure that Irish charities could have an input into the process, my Department co-hosted a conference in Dublin Castle in January 2010 with expert speakers from throughout the UK and Ireland. It was attended by more than 150 delegates from throughout the Irish charity sector and I understand it was regarded by the speakers as one of the most successful conferences of the entire ASB series.

It is intended to continue this work with the sector, especially in respect of future financial and activity reporting by charities under the Charities Act, through a targeted consultation process that will commence later this year.

Separately, and parallel to the statutory framework provided for in the Charities Act, my Department has committed funding to the charities sector to implement and monitor codes of practice on charitable fundraising. There has been extensive engagement with the sector since my Department first provided support for this project. An implementation group comprising representatives from the sector, persons with a public and donor perspective and professional support from the legal and accountancy professions has been established. Two national briefing sessions were held this year in Dublin and Cork to disseminate and promote the materials relating to the codes among the charities sector. I understand that both these sessions were well attended. These are just two examples of my Department's positive disposition towards consultation. Officials in my Department also interact with charities on an ongoing basis in respect of the Act.

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