Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 198: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if there is provision in the Charities Bill which will protect the interests of bona fide charities who depend on door collections of clothing and so on from those which, on the fact of it, do not appear to have clear objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15547/07]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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A key provision of the Charities Bill 2007 is the establishment and maintenance of a register of charities which will be accessible to the public. Registration will be mandatory for all charities operating within the State, irrespective of where the charity is based. It will be an offence for a body not on the register to claim that it is a charity or to operate or fund-raise in the State. In order to be registered, a body will have to supply key information about its existing and proposed activities with its application.

In addition, it is proposed to have agreed codes of good practice in relation to actual fund-raising and collections generally. Work on these agreed codes has already advanced significantly, in cooperation with the charities sector. The Bill also envisages the introduction of statutory codes should the voluntary approach prove ineffective.