New social enterprises database 'totally separate' from Benefacts

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was criticised over its decision last year to shut Benefacts, on which State agencies relied for free financial information 

PAC deputy chair Catherine Murphy said the project change 'doesn’t strike me as value for money'. Picture: RollingNews.ie

The head of the body charged with creating a new database of social enterprises has said that project is “totally separate” from Benefacts, the database of non-profits which was terminated last year.

Department of Rural and Community Development secretary general Mary Hurley told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today that the two projects are “different things”.