Results 641-660 of 1,164,957 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Simon Coveney OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Réada Cronin OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Ivana Bacik OR speaker:Darragh O'Brien OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Marian Harkin OR speaker:Bríd Smith OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Helen McEntee OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Cathal Crowe OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Catherine Martin)
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
Catherine Murphy: I welcome everybody here today. I remind those in attendance to ensure mobile phones are on silent mode or switched off. Before we start I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards references that may be made to other persons in evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence within the parliamentary...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
Catherine Murphy: I thank Ms Drinan for her statement. As set out in the letter of invitation, Ms Delaney has five minutes to make her opening statement.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: I welcome the witnesses and wish them a happy anniversary yesterday - ten years. I congratulate them on that. How many staff are employed with the Charities Regulator?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: In June, there were media reports of a funding shortfall. Is that accurate? I refer to funding shortfalls and budgetary constraints. The funding was to ensure the work the Charities Regulator needs to do was carried out.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: The funding that was requested was not forthcoming for the year. It was suggested a draft letter was to be circulated. I think this is from within the minutes of the board of the Charities Regulator. Could Ms Delaney outline some of the services that were impacted by that funding shortfall?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: There is currently a staff complement of 47 and two vacancies. What is the target? What is the need with regard to the additional work Ms Delaney outlined?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: In 2023, €551,485 was spent consultants. Am I correct in saying that?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: That is a huge sum of money. Where was that spent? What was the need? Can Ms Delaney outline some of the skill shortfalls within the organisation that requires that level of money to be spent on outside consultants?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: There are 13 board members. Is that correct?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: What remuneration do they get for being board members?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: How many of those board members would be members of other boards?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: Okay, so some would be members of multiple boards.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: That is information the Charities Regulator would hold or have a database on.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: Okay. On the rent for the premises, €343,424 per year is a huge amount of money. It is a high rent. Does Ms Delaney agree?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: We only have to look across the State to see the number of OPW buildings that are vacant and derelict. Has any communication taken place with the OPW in terms of utilising some of its vacant buildings?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: It seems like an extraordinary amount of rent when there are so many State owned buildings. In terms of the charities themselves and the pay for CEOs, it has to be said an awful lot of charities operate on a voluntary basis and there is no remuneration whatsoever. For CEOs who are paid, the average is approximately €70,000. There were some reports in the media that said CEOs were...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: Are there any charities where that remuneration package is deemed excessive or which Ms Delaney has concerns about?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: We absolutely see the need for the regulator and the work it does in ensuring there is regulation and all the standards are adhered to, but in some cases it is construed that there is heavy-handedness in the approach taken. I do a lot of work with organisations that help the homeless, and I am sure others do as well. There was a brilliant organisation in my constituency that was set up by a...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
John Brady: I do not want to get into specific cases or anything like that, but they were certainly not masquerading as some charity. They received small donations, similar to many little groups like that. It was a coming together of community activists and people who wanted to do good. I gave the wrong figure. She was threatened with a fine of €300,000 and-or a prison sentence of up to ten...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023 - Charities Regulatory Authority (17 Oct 2024)
Catherine Murphy: The Deputy's time is up.