Charity Representative Group Welcomes Publication of Regulation Bill

10/03/06

Press Statement from Irish Charities Tax Reform Group

This long awaited piece of legislation will promote and underpin public confidence in the charity sector…………

The Irish Charities Tax Reform Group (ICTRG), which represents over 150 of Ireland’s leading charities, today welcomed the publication of the Charities Regulation Bill.

This long awaited piece of legislation will promote and underpin public confidence in the charity sector and the establishment of a regulator will be warmly received. The consultative process undertaken by the Department in developing the legislative framework was welcomed at the time and we are encouraged to see that there has been a consultative element built in going forward.

Richard Dixon, chairman of ICTRG said to-day - “The charity sector in Ireland has been calling for a regulator to oversee its work and support its development for the past twenty years. Today’s announcement is a hugely positive step in the right direction. The legislation looks comprehensive in that, for the first time, there is a legal definition of charity, all charities have to register with the regulator, charities’ annual returns will be made available to the public and there has been a commitment to ensure that the administrative demands are proportional to the size of the organisation”

About ICTRG

ICTRG campaigns for a fiscal and regulatory environment in which philanthropy can thrive. ICTRG believes that tax concessions and an appropriate regulatory framework are two sides of the one coin when considering the promotion of the Irish charity sector. It represents some 150 charities in Ireland.