Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I did not come to the debate with a fixed view. I received a clear recommendation based on an assessment of value for money and the business case. The recommendation made to me as Minister was that we could no longer stand over spending public money on a service that was matched by other public bodies. We reached out to other public bodies, some of which the Deputy has mentioned, including the Department of Rural and Community Development, to see whether they had a requirement for the information being provided by Benefacts. We must bear in mind that Department is the key line Department with overall responsibility for the not-for-profit voluntary charity sector. It did not see a value in the State continuing to extend resources to a third-party body in this respect. It felt it was doing something similar. My preference is always that this type of work and service should be provided from within the public sector. This was the thrust of the recommendation I received. I read all the supporting documentation, I supported the conclusion and, therefore, I made the decision.

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