The Department of Rural and Community Development recently published the Charities (Amendment) Bill, which makes a number of amendments to the Charities Act 2009.  Some of the proposals we made on behalf of the sector to the original draft published in 2022 were incorporated, but some major concerns remain.  It's vitally important that we represent these concerns for our sector as the Bill passes through the Oireachtas stages.

This legislation will have a significant impact on our sector. It proposes a number of measures, including the inclusion of human rights as a charitable purpose, new duties and responsibilities of trustees, the statutory functions of the Charities Regulator and the establishment of the Charity Appeals Tribunal.  It expands the powers of the regulator and states the duties of Trustees for this first time in legislation.

This briefing will provide analysis from The Wheel and Cii on the Bill and its likely impact, with input from Mason Hayes & Curran on legal aspects.  We encourage members to submit questions or comments and have your say, as we prepare to advocate for further changes to this draft legislation.