Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

The Minister of State has pointed out that the purpose of this legislation is to update and upgrade what could be considered archaic legislation. It is evident that all speakers appreciate what the Minister of State has done. He has listened carefully to the many points that arose, not just in the consultative process but also in respect of points that were parked over the years. The consultative process is an important element in the legislative process. The consultation process for the Charities Bill was very broad and is ongoing. It is significant that sporting bodies did not arise in this context but the five year period gives us an opportunity, bearing in mind the number of years we have had to deal with this situation, to bring the legislation to this point.

If we open up the possibility of seeking definition, we would have to rebuild a major part of this Bill. Many charity organisations I spoke to are looking forward to the enactment of this as quickly as possible. One of the great assurances given to us on Second Stage was that existing charities will automatically transfer to the new regulatory body. This means that there will be no backlog and existing charities will not have the same administrative requirements as new charities.

The Minister of State makes the point that one might impose on existing sports bodies a whole new administrative requirement to fulfil the obligations of the status. There are many more issues involved than our idealistic one, which is the importance of sports bodies to the community. They serve a major community purpose in this regard. The Minister of State will consider what is proposed. I would not like to see this opening up, particularly when there has been such cross-party support for the Bill in both Houses. I would not like to slow down the process too much.