Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This Government is in the business of clearing up of a legacy untold proportions. We are now into section 38 and section 39 bodies. I assure the Deputy, the House and the public that, after what is happening in the charities area, the sector will come through to a much safer and a more justifiable, accountable and transparent system. It will be the case that everyone who donates to the charity of their choice can be comfortable in the knowledge that the accounts will be audited and published and the charities regulator will have endorsed charity X or Y as measuring up to criteria set out in the Charities Act 2009. We want a system in which all charities are treated the same, that they be transparent, accountable and the public can be comfortable in that the moneys they gave from their hard-earned pay are going for what they were intended. I am sure Deputy Adams supports this too.

This process has started. I commend the members of the Oireachtas committees who have been involved to this point and will, obviously, have a great deal of work ahead of them. This is in everybody’s interest. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, has set out that the interim regulator will be in place by Easter and a regulatory board will be established soon after. From a different perspective, the Health Service Executive, HSE, is following through on examining section 38 and section 39 agencies. It is in the public’s interest that all these matters are cleared up. We have had a number of mountains to climb over the past three years. Unfortunately, as we move along, we discover there is more work to be done in several areas.

The charities regulator will be in position by the end of February, a board will be in operation and we will move to a point that section 38 and section 39 organisations will be dealt with. There are many charities that are well run and can put absolutely everything out in front of people. That is the way it should be for them all. That is the way it will be.

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