The Charities Amendment Act 2024 has been enacted, introducing significant regulatory updates to the Charities Act. While most registered charities will continue their operations as usual, several key revisions require attention.
The Charities Regulator has provided an overview (https://www.charitiesregulator.ie/media/1aioqohj/charities-amendment-act-2024.pdf) of upcoming changes, covering areas such as:
- Registration
- Charity Trustee definitions and duties
- Financial regulations
- Agreements and appointments
- Annual report
- Charity services functions
The first changes, effective January 27, 2025, include an important governance update: company secretaries will no longer automatically be charity trustees unless they also serve as company directors. If this change applies to your charity, ensure that you update the Register of Charities.
Further guidance will be issued by the Charities Regulatory Authority to support implementation over the coming months.