Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss this very important charities Bill which, as the House is aware, revises and updates the 2009 Charities Act. I thank the Minister of State for taking time to come to the House today but also for his work in this area.

We are all too aware of the various news stories over the past number of years detailing various accusations. It is a fact that some people involved in working and volunteering in some charities misappropriated funds and used those same organisations for their own betterment and profit. I am glad to see this Bill as a necessary step that needs to be implemented to allow for the right type of regulation, particularly financial regulation, around charities. We need to see public confidence improve and that involves better reporting and key measures around the legal framework. Anybody like me who has been involved in voluntary organisations and charities over the years knows that the amount of regulation, governance and commitment needed drives many people away from voluntary involvement. However, it is necessary. When people think of charities, they think of the likes of health charities that raise funds for cancer, asthma, the deaf and the blind, the organisations that assist people with disabilities and the charities that fund research. They are very worthy causes. Beyond these, many community development organisations which are companies that are registered as a charity do excellent work in the community, for example with the development of enterprise centres, community centres and childcare companies. They are supported by the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Brien, in so many ways.

The Bill includes provisions that will insist that registered charities which are companies will be subject to the same regulatory requirements and rules as all other registered charities, especially around reporting requirements which is a consideration of their size as organisations. These same companies deliver so much to our communities, including vital services that no Government could deliver, and we need these charities. It is in our own interest that an updated legal framework that reflects the reality of operations on the ground is provided for in this Bill. People need the confidence to contribute and the measures in the Bill provide this by giving more power to the regulator, modernising accountancy and reporting procedures, and requesting information on the role of the trustees and their responsibilities and a copy of the members of the company and registered charity. I do not think any of us want to read on a media site of a charity manager, trustee, staff or volunteer walking up the steps of our courts accused of embezzling thousands of euros. The effect this has on the sector overall is quite dramatic. It reduces the general income of the organisation and causes cynicism all around alongside the final decision of the many volunteers who walk away. I say again that we should never judge a charity or an organisation by these kind of deeds. They are a very low percentage. They undermine the confidence, the ability, but also the absolutely wonderful work of these charities.

Regarding community-based companies in rural Ireland, I hope we ensure there is support from the Minister of State's Department and from POBAL to assist directors and volunteers with any new regulations. The last thing we want is owners' responsibility of compliance around paperwork and form-filling driving away volunteers who do a lot of this work for nothing. That is one thing that happened in a lot of organisations. I see it happening in the GAA, the FAI, in rugby, voluntary organisations, credit unions and places like that where governance is required. The days of throwing a load into a car, getting on with it and doing it this way are gone; it is all about governance. Anybody volunteering, assisting, going to work in, or giving their own time to these charities must be responsible and understand the regulations. We need to do an awful lot more to assist these organisations to upskill to ensure they meet that very high bar of regulations that is needed. I ask that the Minister of State ensures his own Department and development companies are funded and staffed to provide support to the charity companies with volunteer directors to comply with any new measures or stipulations under the Bill.

Again, this is very welcome legislation. I thank all the various charities and all their workers and members for the absolutely incredible contribution they have made to our country over many decades. We have to wake up to the fact that life moves on and the days of "We'll try it and see" are over. We need extremely good governance and professional organisations but they come at a cost. I hope that this will not deter anybody who is interested in joining a charity or carrying out charity work. I know it will not but we need to work twice as hard, redouble our efforts, to ensure they get every support from the Government to ensure they can carry out that absolutely wonderful work on behalf of their locality, their charities and indeed their country. I thank the Minister of State again for the work he is doing and I wish him every success.

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