Charities Bill lacks 'important element'

SEANAD REPORT:DAN BOYLE (Greens), the deputy Government leader in the House, said he believed that unelected influences might have affected the Charities Bill and had been given a weight that was disproportionate to what their individual concerns should be. As a result, the Bill was missing an important element.

Reacting to what Mr Boyle said, David Norris (Ind) said senior civil servants in various departments were driving Government policy. "It is inappropriate to name the particular civil servant in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, but the Minister will know exactly who is involved."

Members were debating a Labour motion to include in the scope of the Bill bodies whose aims are the promotion of human rights. The amendment was defeated.

Mr Boyle said human rights included those in the social and economic area. "As far as I and my party are concerned, these are also inalienable human rights. No political process should stand aside, whether informed by administrators or elective political representatives, from seeking that such rights be attained.

"If the Minister is not prepared to address the issue, the existing operations under a human rights banner could find themselves with spurious and political challenges for existing or being seen to affect charitable operations. One of the major bodies in the form of Amnesty International has special tax status only because of a particular Irish solution to the Irish problem of failing to recognise human rights in the widest sense," he added.

Mr Boyle warned if the Bill's deficiency was not remedied, there would be a need for amending legislation at a later point.

Jerry Buttimer (FG) said it beggared belief that a member of the Government could come into the House and castigate his colleagues over a piece of legislation while still being prepared to vote for it.