Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

167. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 298 of 7 May 2013 regarding the regulation of charity collectors, the reason there is a delay in the implementation of the Charities Act; the financial reasons for the delay; the reason there is a delay in the creation of the Register of Charities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24941/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Charities Act 2009 provides for an integrated system of mandatory registration and proportionate regulation and supervision of the charities sector in Ireland. The various sections of the Charities Act are subject to implementation through commencement orders. Sections that it was possible to commence in advance of the establishment of the Charities Regulatory Authority, as provided for under the Act, have been commenced. The remaining sections, including those relating to the Register of Charities, can only be commenced following the establishment of the Authority.

The Deputy will appreciate that the full implementation of the Charities Act, including the establishment of the Authority and Register of Charities, had to be examined as part of the comprehensive review of expenditure, which took place in 2011. Arising from this review, and in the context of the urgent need to make savings in Government expenditure, implementation of the Act was deferred, as my Department considered how best to achieve the objectives of the Act in a climate of financial constraint. Clearly the introduction of a comprehensive new regime for the regulation of charities, including the setting up of a new body - the Charities Regulatory Authority - will have some resource implications.

As I outlined to the Deputy in my response to the previous Parliamentary Question to which he refers (Question No. 298 of 7 May 2013), it remains an objective of the Government to strengthen the regulation of the charitable sector in effective and proportionate ways. My Department has therefore examined how best to implement key provisions of the Charities Act on a phased, low cost basis. As part of this process, a public consultation on proposals for implementing key provisions of the Act took place earlier this year. The consultation document invited the views of stakeholders and members of the public on proposals for the implementation of the Act in a cost effective way. I was very pleased with the response to this consultation, to which some 160 submissions were received. My Department is currently reviewing the submissions received and, as previously outlined to the Deputy, I look forward to publishing the results in due course and to giving a further indication of the Government's plans for the introduction of an operational Charities Regulatory Authority, the creation of a statutory Register of Charities, and full implementation of the Charities Act 2009.