Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will formulate a registrar for all charities and set up a charities office with powers to audit and investigate the activities of charities and to deal with complaints. [11043/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that Charities in Ireland have been unregulated since the foundation of the State. The purpose of the Charities Act 2009 is to enact a reform of the law relating to charities in order to ensure accountability and to protect against abuse of charitable status and fraud. It will also enhance public trust and confidence in charities and increase transparency in the charities sector. The Charities Act 2009, together with the Charities Acts 1961 and 1973 and the Street and House to House Collections Act 1962, will provide for a composite regulatory framework for charities through a combination of new legislative provisions and retention of existing charities legislation, with updating, where appropriate.

The enactment of the charities legislation did not immediately bring the Charities Act 2009 into force. In this regard, commencement of the majority of the Act is contingent on a Charities Regulatory Authority being in place. The Charities Regulatory Authority, as well as establishing and maintaining a register of charitable organisations, will also have the power to ensure and monitor compliance by charitable organisations with the Charities Act 2009 and to carry out investigations in accordance with the Charities Act 2009.

The Department is currently working towards the implementation of the Charities Act 2009 which will entail the establishment of a new Register of Charities and the Charities Regulatory Authority (CRA) but there is a substantial body of work to be carried out before the CRA and the Charities Register can be established. In other jurisdictions it has taken a number of years to achieve this and that will be the case in this country also.