Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023
22. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will engage with the Charity Regulator regarding the status of an application (details supplied); the average length of time an organisation is waiting between submitting an application and the issuing of a registered charity number; the number of staff in the authority assigned to approving applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49554/23]
View answerThe Charities Regulatory Authority (the ‘Charities Regulator’) was established in October 2014 pursuant to the Charities Act 2009. The Authority is the State organisation responsible for registering and regulating all of Ireland’s charities, with the mandate to promote good governance practice.
The Charities Regulator is fully independent in the performance of its statutory functions under Section 14 (3) of the Charities Act 2009. Neither I nor my Department have any role in the decision-making process of the Regulator, particularly with regard to the registration of charities. That is entirely a matter for the Regulator and any queries should be raised directly with the Regulator.
I want to take this opportunity to highlight that the organisation can contact the Charities Regulator directly regarding their application, through an online query form or through the ‘MyAccount Portal’, located at www.charitiesregulator.ie/en/contact-us , with a dedicated phone line for queries about charity applications and registration status, (01) 633 1500, also available between 10am and 1pm, Monday to Friday inclusive.
I understand that there are currently approximately 186 active applications submitted to the Charities Regulator, which are at various stages of the registration process.
Each application for registration must be carefully assessed by the Charities Regulator to ensure that the applicant meets the specific requirements set out in the Charities Act 2009.
While the Charities Regulator endeavours to complete the registration process for applicants as efficiently as possible, the overall application process takes time – typically around six months - and it can vary from case to case in terms of when a decision can be made on an application.
The Charities Act 2009 does not permit the Charities Regulator to reject an incomplete application. This means that the Charities Regulator must make a substantive decision on whether or not an applicant can be entered in the Register of Charities (“the Register) in each case. This can lead to significant ongoing engagement by the Charities Regulator with applicants over what, in some cases, can be a protracted period of time in order to get their applications to a stage where a fair and robust decision can be made.
The registration unit has a team of ten people, including six case officers, who assess completed applications to determine whether an organisation meets the legal requirements to be registered, and can be escalated to the Chief Executive for the final decision.
