Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and wish him well with the Bill. This is important legislation and I look forward to an excellent debate on Committee Stage. Senator O'Toole is correct that if it becomes necessary to return the Bill with amendments to the Dáil, it will be the better for it.

The charities sector needs to be placed on a proper footing. Senator O'Toole referred to the different types of people who collect money on the streets. In the case of those who collect for national organisations it is clear that the majority of the money collected does not go to the charities in question. On the other hand, in 90% of cases where local organisations such as boy scouts or soccer and GAA clubs collect funds, 100% of the money collected goes to the local club. It would be foolhardy to attempt to remove the right of such clubs and groups to collect funds. Another example of significant funds being raised for worthy causes is the Daffodil Day collections. Many sporting organisations depend on the money they raise on flag days and in the majority of such cases all moneys raised go to the relevant organisations. The proposed provision should be amended on Committee Stage to improve the legislation.

On the composition of the charities regulatory authority, I am disappointed that it has been decided to preclude members of local authorities from membership of the board. Many of the 1,500 or 1,600 local authority members were elected on the basis of a reputation they had acquired for working and fund-raising on behalf of charitable organisations. The main burden for most charitable organisations is raising funds. It is regrettable, therefore, that persons who have acquired vast experience in this area and have been elected to a local authority should be precluded from membership of the board. I ask the Minister of State to reconsider this provision prior to Committee Stage.

Members of the Garda Síochána have played a major role over the years in approving collections by charitable organisations and other bodies. It is regrettable, therefore, that they are also precluded from membership of the board. I ask the Minister of State to consider appointing a member of the force to the board. While this may not have been done previously, the Garda Síochána has significant expertise in this area and gardaí who know the various charitable organisations inside out could bring considerable experience to the charities regulatory authority. I wish the Minister of State well with the Bill, which is overdue.