Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Not all the charities fall foul of whatever may be happening with some of them. They all fall foul, however, of the fact there is a lack of public confidence because of the lack of regulation in the sector. We know this lack of regulation across many sectors has been at the core of the toxic culture in this State for a long time.

I asked the Taoiseach a straight question. There is a Charities Act in place since 2009. While the Minister’s recent measures in this regard are welcome, they do not include the full implementation of the legislation. They are only small piecemeal measures, brought about because of an ongoing scandal in the sector.

Will the Taoiseach support the legislation which is now up for reimplementation? As this is above party politics, I am disappointed at his refusal to support our Bill. If the charities legislation were fully implemented, it would protect charities and restore public confidence. I know the Government has been extremely busy but it has had three years during which to act on this. Last night’s revelations by the justice Minister about Rehab, information which he has had for some time, have shocked citizens and reinforced the urgent need to fully implement the Charities Act 2009.

On top of all this disquiet, does the Taoiseach also agree that the refusal, thus far, by the chief executive officer of Rehab to declare her salary, as well as the general lack of transparency about remuneration in this and other sectors, need to be addressed and rectified?

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