Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, further to Parliamentary Question No. 86 of 8 February 2012, if community employment schemes will be able to avail of the revised audit exemption rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8953/12]

Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, further to Parliamentary Question No. 86 of 8 February 2012, if schools that are set up as charitable institutions or a trust will be able to avail of the revised audit exemption rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9058/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 109 together.

Exemption from audit applies to certain private limited companies. The scope for companies to have an exemption from the requirement to have an audit carried out is set out in EU legislation (4th Directive). Community or voluntary groups or schools may be incorporated as companies, but this may not always be the case, as some may choose to avail of other legal forms. Such groups which have charitable status are governed by the Charities Act 2009, under the aegis of the Minister for Justice and Equality and are answerable to their stakeholders, shareholders and funders.

As stated in my reply of 8th February, the Company Law Review Group (CLRG) 2009 Report examined the issue of extending audit exemption to companies limited by guarantee. It is my intention that provisions giving effect to the recommendations of the CLRG in this matter will be included in the Companies Bill, which I aim to publish in the second half of this year. The CLRG recommendations contemplate that any proposals in this context will be subject to consultation with the Department of Justice and Equality, which now has responsibility for charities regulation.