Sir, – Dáil Éireann has deservedly earned a reputation for passing swathes of legislation. What a pity the passing of this legislation is not matched by enactment. I refer to your report on the Charities Act (Home News, June 29th), which was passed in 2009 but has lain dormant since. Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, who has legislative responsibility for charities, confirmed that implementation of the law to force charities to make their financial information public has been deferred due to cost. The voluntary governance code suggested by the charity sector, which is effectively a self-policing system of regulation, does not provide sufficient transparent accountability of public funding. Speaking on the issue of the Charities Act, Ombudsman and Information Commissioner Emily O’Reilly was correct when she said there was growing intolerance among the public of anything less than full accountability of public money. Ms O’Reilly further said, “The day will come when the largely uncritical and undemanding public that contribute to and support [charitable] causes will begin to demand a larger say” in how charities go about their business.
Charities have evolved into big businesses in recent years, yet there is still no statutory body to regulate them. More transparency, accountability and inspection are needed to enhance public trust and confidence that public donations are being wisely spent, and this can only be achieved if the Government fully implements its own legislation. – Yours, etc,