Charities Regulator Stakeholder Forum Seeks Nominations
The Charities Regulator is in the process of establishing a stakeholder forum where charity trustees and the Charities Regulator can exchange information and views on topics relevant to regulation of the sector such as emerging issues, trends and priorities. Registered charities are invited to nominate a charity trustee to be a member of this forum. Nominees will be able to present the views of their own charity as well as the perspective of charities similar to them.
In this pilot phase, the stakeholder forum will comprise 12 to 20 charity trustees. A selection committee will consider the nominations received and agree the final members as we are keen to ensure that the membership of the stakeholder forum reflects the current profile of the charity sector by charitable purpose, size, legal form and geographical area. The selection committee will comprise a member of the board of the Charities Regulator, a member of the Charities Regulator’s senior management team and the independent chair of the stakeholder forum, Patricia Cronin. A former board member of the Charities Regulator, Patricia brings considerable experience and knowledge of the sector to the role.
In addition to charity trustees and representatives of the Charities Regulator, observers from government departments and other state agencies will be invited to attend meetings where there are matters on the agenda relevant to their area(s) of responsibility.
Involvement in the forum will require some time commitment from its trustee members, however it is not intended to be time-consuming. It will meet twice annually (spring and autumn/winter) on a hybrid basis – in-person and virtual – and generally at the offices of the Charities Regulator, at 3 Georges Dock (which is within easy walking distance of Connolly Station and beside the George’s Dock Luas stop). Meetings will typically last for two hours and, depending on the agenda, there may be some materials to read or consider ahead of each meeting. Additional meetings may be called by the Chair or requests for comments or feedback may be sought via email occasionally by the Charities Regulator in consultation with the Chair
While the forum will operate on a pilot basis firstly for one year, the Charities Regulator sees this as a long-term initiative. It is envisaged initially that nominees will serve for two years to ensure continuity and thereafter we anticipate a turnover of membership. Please note that no expenses or fees will be paid other than the fee of the independent Chair who will be paid in line with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s guidelines on committee membership.
Nominations must be submitted by email to press@charitiesregulator.ie before 5pm on Thursday 23 March 2023.
The Charities Regulator stakeholder forum will enable meaningful discussion on topics on regulatory matters, further helping to ensure the sector’s views are considered when the Charities Regulator is developing policies, guidance and regulatory materials.