Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and I wish him every success in fast-tracking the proper regulation of the charities sector, in particular by implementing the 2009 Act introduced by the then Fianna Fáil-led Government. At a minimum, the public deserve to know where their money is being spent and that it is being spent correctly. Most of those who have spoken today are ad idem on the need for accountability and transparency, traceability in terms of where all our hard-earned money goes, to which charities it goes, and how it is spent.

We need to move to address the fundamental problems in the corporate governance of these bodies. Like my colleague, Senator Ó Murchú, I compliment Senator Mary Ann O'Brien because she has raised the matter in the House before. She seems to have a great understanding of the difficulties in the charity sector and the need for proper governance. Sometimes when people raise issues in the House, as I do occasionally in respect of the fishing industry, it goes unappreciated.

When our party passed the Charities Act in 2009, it represented a milestone in the development of the regulation of the sector and a major leap forward at that stage. However, recent events have propelled the matter forward and we are now at a stage where the Minister and the Government must implement the Act and ensure full and proper transparency. The original purpose of the Charities Act was to reform charities law to ensure greater accountability, protect against abuse of charitable status and enhance public trust and confidence in charities by ensuring increased transparency in the sector. We should also realise that in the past 20 years charities seem to have blossomed. No matter which way I turn nowadays, there are charities. When I was a child, there were only one or two charities and normally we would throw in a few pence for African children. That was the thrust of it. Now, we seem to have charities everywhere. I have no problem with that provided they are properly regulated and controlled.

Last year, I embarked on a walk for a charity called Féilecáin because it had a personal interest for me. It offers counselling for women who have had stillbirths or who lose babies born prematurely who do not survive. The organisation does wonderful work and I had first-hand experience of how it operates. It is probably one of the lesser-known charities. A situation presented itself to my family and the organisation did a wonderful job. I was pleased that I walked 13.5 miles and raised between €1,200 and €1,300, which I handed over to the organisation. It is only a small story but often I wonder when we contribute to the various charities where the money goes and how it is spent.

The other point I wish to raise with the Minister, without going over ground that has been covered by other speakers, is the regulation costs and the independence of these charities. I realise the Minister is setting up a regulator and a board. I understand in Northern Ireland at the moment the charities regulator costs close to £1 million per annum to run. I hope this will not be a further burden on the State. Charities that are registered should pay €100 or €200 per year depending on their size. Some of the larger charities could pay €1,000 to ensure that the cost of running the regulator or governance body for proper regulation is covered. Such an organisation should be self-sufficient in so far as it can be. It is a major expense but it is worthwhile, having regard to what we have seen coming out of some of these charities. If investigations must take place, whether initiated by the HSE, the Committee of Public Accounts or any Government agency, it is only right and proper that people know where the money they contribute is spent.

In Ireland, there is a vast spirit of generosity in our psyche. I have no doubt that in any of the countries in the world where a person travels he will not find as generous a public for contributions. Some of the people I see contributing have little to give, but they give anyway because they believe they are providing help to the less well off in society and that is what charity is all about.

I wish the Minister well. This topic is far bigger than party politics. It is a major issue that must be examined in a global context and we must get to the bottom of it. If we do not and if we do not grasp the nettle and rid ourselves of the rot that may have set in among some charities, the innate charitable spirit in all Irish people will be lost. We must ensure that does not happen because, if it does, society as a whole will suffer and those most vulnerable in our society will probably suffer most.