Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 July 2021
122. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if compliance and regulatory requirements will be reviewed in 2022 to ensure that no duplication of the process occurs given the burden of the cost of regulatory and compliance requirements to community, voluntary and charity groups. [38528/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Charities Regulatory Authority (Charities Regulator) is the statutory body responsible for regulating charitable organisations in Ireland. The Charities Regulator was established on 16 October, 2014 pursuant to the Charities Act 2009.
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to update legislative provisions with the Charities Regulator, to ensure it has the necessary powers to increase trust and confidence in the management and administration of charities.
There is ongoing liaison between officials in my Department and the Charities Regulator to review the operation of the legislation to ensure that it is operating effectively, and to consider amendments to the 2009 Act. This work is at an advanced stage and I intend bringing proposals to Government in the near future to progress the legislation.
In 2019, my Department published Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities - A five year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland 2019-2024. The strategy reaffirms the Government’s commitment to supporting the sector and addressing some of the burdens faced by service providers, whilst also recognising the reality of finite resources and the need to ensure that available resources are focused on providing effective services.
The strategy commits, inter alia, to develop appropriate compliance and monitoring arrangements and support capacity in the community development, local development and the broader community and voluntary sector to meet them, including:
- reviewing the appropriateness of regulatory compliance requirements;
- developing and implementing a strategy to reduce, streamline and standardise all public-funded programme and regulatory monitoring, reporting and compliance requirements, where appropriate,
- and resource and support organisations to fulfil compliance requirements.
The implementation of the strategy is being overseen by the Cross-Sectoral Group on Local and Community Development. A key role for this group is to support this Department in the prioritisation of objectives and actions to be progressed within the framework of annual workplans.
I recognise the concerns of the sector and I am committed to addressing this challenge in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
