Board of new Charities Regulatory Authority has been appointed. It’s great to see this progressing. Extract from Press Release by Dept of Justice yesterday below;

“Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter TD, today (30 April 2014) announced sixteen appointments to the Board of the Charities Regulatory Authority that is to be established later this year under the terms of the 2009 Charities Act.

Minister Shatter said, “I am pleased to announce these appointments, as an important step forward for the new system of charities regulation we are putting in place. This follows the appointment of the Chief Executive of the new Authority in March.”

The Charities Regulatory Authority will be an independent regulator for our charities. It will have powers under the Charities Act to introduce robust yet proportionate measures to improve the accountability and transparency of our charity sector. This is essential to the restoration and maintenance of public trust and confidence in our charities, whose work across many sectors makes such a crucial and highly valued contribution to our economy and society.”

“Through its work, the Authority will also help to ensure that the type of difficulties that have given rise to concerns about charities in the recent past, do not arise in future. I look forward to seeing the results of the important work that will be carried out by the Authority.”

Conor Woods is to be appointed as Chairperson of the new Authority and the following people are to be appointed as ordinary members:

Information on Appointees

Conor Woods – Chairperson

Accountant / Senior Statutory Auditor. Chairperson of Chartered Accountants Ireland Charity Committee. Lecturer on Corporate Governance Charities Act 2009 implementation, Governance Code and Irish Tax Review Guidelines with Arthur Guinness Fund.

Graham Richards: Charity Commissioner. Consultant at Matheson Ormsby Prentice Solicitors with particular expertise in the area of trusts and estates

Ann Fitzgerald: Barrister. Member of Board of Directors Cork Simon Community

Patricia Cronin: Solicitor. Board Member and ViceChair of Transparency International Ireland.

David Brady: Accountant/Senior Consultant/Advisor to the Charity sector. Former Chair of the Charities and Not-for-Profit Special Interest Group of Chartered Accountants Ireland

Patrick Hopkins: Accountant/Company Secretary Enterprise Ireland. Board Member St Vincent de Paul.

Anna Classon: Head of Fundraising RNLI. Institute of Fundraising Member.

Fergus Finlay: Chief Executive, Barnardos.

Cynthia Clampett: CEO Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation.

Tom Costello: Programme Executive with The Atlantic Philanthropies.

Senan Turnbull: Chair, Think Ahead Advisory Committee, Irish Hospice Foundation. Member of the Working Group of The Governance Code.

Barbara O’Connell: Former Occupational Therapy Manager. Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland. Board Member of Disability Federation of Ireland and European Brain Injury Society.

Hugh Maddock: Area Organiser / Fundraiser for Rehabilitation Institute / Rehab Group who has personal experience of disability.

Sandra Chambers: Tax Specialist with particular expertise in the area of establishment and funding of charities.

Katie Cadden: Solicitor with Masters Degree in Public Law. Formerly legal adviser to PRTB.

Noel Wardick: International Programs-Consultant CBM Ireland. Former Head of International Department, Irish Red Cross. Director on the governing boards of Transparency International Ireland and Comhlámh.