01/06/2009 - New charity regulator for N Ireland
Charities in Northern Ireland are now required to register with a new commission that has been set up to regulate, monitor and investigate charitable organisations.
Social development minister Margaret Ritchie said that the commission would boost accountability and provide greater transparency, which would in turn boost public confidence in the system.
"The system needs tightening up and overhauled," Ms Ritchie said. "We need leadership. We need regulation. We need the public to be assured that the money they give is going to where it should go.
"The commissioners bring with them an array of skills and experience in the statutory, private and charitable sectors and I am confident that they can make a valuable contribution."
Ms Ritchie said that Northern Ireland had to date been "out of step" compared with Britain in that the province has not had a charity commission.
"We have had what at best could be described as light touch regulation," she added. "I have sought to change this and to provide reassurance and confidence for charities and for the giving public."
Thomas McGrath, former chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, has been appointed chief commissioner, with Patricia Sloan, director of BBC Children In Need, his deputy.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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