Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Nov 1998

Vol. 495 No. 7

Written Answers. - Regulation of Fundraising.

John Gormley

Ceist:

606 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on registration that there should be a system of registration of organisations fund-raising for charitable purposes involving both annual accounting and reporting to a registration authority possessing statutory supervisory and investigatory powers with a prohibition on fund-raising by non-exempt, non-registered organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21667/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

607 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on registration that there should be an exemption for the registration provisions for small local charities raising funds not in excess of £10,000, and an exemption for certain charitable companies and ministers of religion raising funds for the purposes of religion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21668/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

608 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on registration that there should be a dual system of registration with organisations raising in excess of £50,000 registering with the Charity Commissioners and bodies raising less than that figure registering locally with the appropriate Garda chief superintendent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21669/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

609 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on registration that there should be an index of registered fund-raising organisations maintained by the charity commissioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21670/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

610 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on accountability, that every registered organisation should be required to keep prescribed books of accounts which should be available for public inspection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21671/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

611 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on supervision, that both registration authorities should have supervisory and investigatory powers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21672/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

612 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences, that applicants for collection permits or lottery permits or licences should be required to produce evidence of compliance with the registration requirements as a condition precedent to being granted a licence or permit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21673/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

613 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences, that the power to make regulations under the street and house to house legislation should be vested in him rather than the Garda Commissioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21674/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

614 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that the sale of lottery tickets by house to house visits should be prohibited unless a collection permit has been obtained from a chief superintendent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21675/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

615 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that house to house sales in respect of periodical licences should also be regulated but in a way that favours organisations traditionally using this method; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21676/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

616 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that the selling of lottery lines on a street or by house to house visits should be prohibited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21677/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

617 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that the selling of lottery tickets in the street should be prohibited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21678/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

618 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licence, that the sale of scratch card lotteries should be brought within the scope of the 1962 Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21679/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

619 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that the sale of articles for charitable purposes by means of house to house visits should be prohibited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21680/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

620 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that a charity collecting on church grounds with the consent of the Church authorities will not require a collection permit but must comply in all other ways with the requirements of the 1962 Act as well as informing the divisional officer of its intention to collect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21681/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

621 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that divisional officers should remain the licensing authority for collection permits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21682/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

622 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that the geographical scope of the collection permit should not extend beyond the division of a chief superintendent granting it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21683/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

623 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that the charity commissioners should draw up guidelines to assist the gardaí to exercising their discretionary powers relating to collections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21684/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

624 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that all authorisations should be stamped by a chief superintendent and unsealed or open collection boxes prohibited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21685/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

625 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that accounts relating to the collection should be submitted to the relevant chief superintendent and be available for public inspection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21686/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

626 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that the definition of a lottery in legislation should be drafted to encompass anti-avoidance schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21687/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

627 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that occasional lotteries should be better regulated by requiring greater details at the time of the permit application, controlling the level of expenses, regulating sales, requiring returns and accounts to be submitted and ensuring that the public are able to ascertain the outcome of the lottery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21688/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

628 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that a periodical lottery licence should operate only in the District Court district in which it is granted with provision for nation-wide periodical lotteries by means of an approved scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21689/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

629 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes on permits and licences that the existing monetary limit of prize money should be expressed as an average figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21690/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

630 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes regarding telethons that telethons should be registered in a similar way to nation-wide periodical lotteries and should operate only under an approved scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21693/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

631 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes regarding professional fund-raisers that there should be a system of annual registration with the Charity Commissioners of professional fund-raisers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21694/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

632 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes regarding professional fund-raisers that applicants for registration should obtain a certificate of qualification from the chief superintendent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21695/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

633 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes regarding professional fund-raisers that the applicants should maintain a fixed deposit in the High Court and the certificate of deposit should be submitted to the Charity Commissioners when applying for registration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21696/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

634 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes regarding professional fund-raisers that contracts between professional fund-raisers and charitable organisations should be in writing, contain certain particulars to be prescribed and be registered with the Charity Commissioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21697/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

635 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes regarding professional fund-raisers that all moneys received by professional fund-raisers should be paid to the charity before deductions of any remuneration or expenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21698/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

636 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes regarding professional fund-raisers that professional fund-raisers should be required to furnish accounts within three months of the termination of the promotion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21699/98]

John Gormley

Ceist:

637 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to implement the recommendation of the Committee on Fund Raising Activities for Charitable and Other Purposes regarding professional fund-raisers that all accounts furnishing and contracts entered into should be open to public inspection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21700/98]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 606 to 637, inclusive, together.

As indicated in the Government's legislation programme announced by the Chief Whip on 28 September 1998, there is a commitment to bring forward legislation aimed at reforming the law on the administration and regulation of charities along the lines of the report of the Committee on Fundraising Activities for Charitable and other Purposes. Account will also be taken of the subsequent report of the Advisory Group on Charities/Fundraising legislation. Progress on the legislation is subject to disposal of other legislative priorities and the details of the proposals will be announced in the normal way in due course when they have been approved by the Government.