Senator’s assertions about charities ‘offensive’

Irish charities have hit back at the assertion made by a senior Labour Party figure that the sector is rife with big salaries, exorbitant levels of commission and high administration costs.

Describing the attack by Senator John Whelan as grossly offensive to charity workers and volunteers, a spokesperson for ICTR — the representative organisation for Irish charities — said his statement, on a motion tabled by Labour senators on charity regulation, displays an ignorance of the implementation of the Charities’ Act as well as the realities faced by the charity sector.

“Assertions in the statement of hefty salaries, exorbitant levels of commission and hefty administrative costs are gratuitously offensive to the many, many charities, the people who run them, thousands of volunteers struggling to maintain services for the most needy in society, and the tens of thousands of people who donate to their chosen charity,” said the spokesperson.