Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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586. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his attention has been drawn to an application by a group (details supplied) for charitable status; the actions he will take to ensure that this application is progressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29458/26]

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
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The Charities Regulator, under the aegis of my Department, is the statutory body responsible for registering and regulating all of Ireland’s charities, with a mandate to promote good governance practice.

While the Regulator is under the aegis of my Department, it is fully independent in the performance of its statutory functions. Neither I nor my Department have any role in the decision making process of the Regulator, including decisions regarding the registration of charities which are entirely a matter for the Regulator.

I am assured that the Charities Regulator assesses all applications received in order and works with applicants to process applications in a timely fashion.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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587. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the average time it takes to assess and complete a formal application for charitable status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29459/26]

Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
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The Charities Regulator, under the aegis of my Department, is the statutory body responsible for registering and regulating all of Ireland’s charities, with a mandate to promote good governance practice. While the Regulator is under the aegis of my Department, it is fully independent in the performance of its statutory functions.

Under the Oversight Agreement in place between my department and the Charities Regulator, quarterly reports are provided on the average length of time it takes for a charity to be registered. As of the 31st of March 2026 this time was 103 working days. In the first quarter of 2026 the Charities Regulator received 66 applications and registered 66 charities.

The length of time it takes for an application to be processed depends on a number of factors, including if the Regulator has to engage with the applicant to request additional information or clarify any matters.