Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the measures being taken by his Department in responding to the recent Law Reform Commission consultation paper on charitable trusts. [11436/05]

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way in which he proposes to act upon the Law Reform Commission's recent recommendations concerning charitable trusts. [7060/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 16 and 113 together.

In 2004, the Law Reform Commission agreed to assist and advise my Department on addressing issues raised in the section on Governance in my Department's consultation paper on establishing a modern statutory framework for charities, as these relate to charitable trusts.

On 16 February 2005, I launched the consultation paper on charitable trust law reform, which had been prepared by the Law Reform Commission. The deadline for submissions is tomorrow, 15 April 2005. The public consultation, on the basis of this consultation paper, represents the first stage in a two-stage process.

That process involves first, a consultation paper — the stage that the proposals on charitable trust law reform are at — and then a report. As a consultation paper is intended to form the basis for discussion, the recommendations, conclusions and suggestions contained in it are provisional. The Law Reform Commission proceeds to make its final recommendations in a report following the public consultation and further consideration of the issues.

In that context, the Deputy will appreciate that consideration of follow-up action as regards charitable trust law would be premature at the present time.