Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for selecting this topic for discussion and the Minister of State, Deputy Burton, for coming in to reply. I would have liked the Minister for Justice to reply, but I am aware that she is in Northern Ireland on very important Government business and I respect that.
Charities are now big business. Despite an estimated annual turnover in excess of £300 million, the sector is totally unregulated and any group that appears to be concerned about a particular cause can set up as a charity and embark upon a programme of collecting money. Inevitably, the lack of regulation will lead, and I fear has already led, to sharp practice, trickery and fraud. Accordingly, I call on the Minister to put in place as a matter of urgency a proper national system of regulation and registration.
I wish to highlight a case which causes me grave concern and which was reported in a "Prime Time" programme on RTE about three weeks ago. I speak of the fundraising activities of what is called the All Ireland National Children's Hospice. To date that organisation has raised in excess of £1 million. It operates out of two premises in Cork city, one in Limerick, one in Kilkenny and one in Dublin. It has applied for and been issued with collection permits in each of these areas. The promise is that a hospice for sick children will be built to provide care for seriously ill and dying children. There is, however, no evidence that such a building has been put in place or is about to commence, nor is there evidence of any such building in the course of planning or preparation. Despite that fact and that it has never been recognised by medical authorities here, permits have been issued to that organisation up and down the country.
In the case of Cork city, 58 collection permits were issued, an average of one every five days. I understand from speaking to the chief superintendent in that city that all future permits are frozen. Why was that organisation issued with such a large number of permits when there was no evidence to demonstrate that a hospice was being put in place or that a hospice-type service was in the course of delivery or preparation. Was no one responsible for checking that the collectors represented a bona fide charity? Are those who organise charity collections accountable to anyone? What happens the donations they receive? What has been done with the £1 million collected by this organisation? I call on the Minister to initiate a full investigation into these matters and report back to the House.
There is a legitimate hospice in Cork city, St. Patrick's established by the Irish Sisters of Charity. That hospice has given, and continues to give outstanding service to people in the Cork city and surrounding areas. Some 40 per cent of its funding is raised on a voluntary basis. Can anyone imagine what it could do with the £1 million in question? How can this very worthy charity or any other legitimate charity continue to fund-raise successfully if groups such as the All Ireland Children's Hospice Organisation are allowed to continue collecting money while delivering nothing to the public.
