Senators seek to regulate €6bn charity sector

Labour senators will move next week to regulate some €6bn a year in taxpayers’ funds spent on charities amid concern about abuse of the monies and the failure to monitor the sector.

The Labour senators intend to apply pressure on Justice Minister Alan Shatter to regulate 7,800 charities in Ireland in a move that could further strain tensions in the coalition.

Senator John Whelan yesterday said successive governments’ failure to hold to account the multi-billion euro charity and voluntary sector was “unacceptable and reckless”.