Minister Givan announces Review of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland

Minister for Communities Paul Givan MLA has announced a Review of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI).

The CCNI was established in 2009 as the regulator of charities operating in Northern Ireland following the enactment of the Charities (Northern Ireland) Act 2008.

Minister Givan said: “I am committed to ensuring good governance and providing the public with confidence that our charitable organisations are effectively regulated and the sector is appropriately supported.

“Regular internal governance reviews seeking assurance that statutory functions are being properly and effectively exercised reflect best practice for oversight of governance and accountability of arms length bodies.

“I have tasked my officials with providing me and the public with robust assurance that the Charity Commission is executing its duties and responsibilities in line with best practice and proportionate rigor.”

The Review will be undertaken by a senior civil servant from the Department for Communities, with expert advice sought from external sources on charity regulation and law. It will focus on the Charity Commission’s strategic approach to regulation activities, current governance arrangements and assessing relationships across key stakeholders.

The Review will take two months after which a final report will be presented to the Minister for consideration of the next steps.

This Review will inform reviews of other arms length bodies and their functions. I will bring forward proposals for further reviews in due course.

Notes to editors: 

1. The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI) was established as the regulator of charities operating in Northern Ireland following the enactment of the Charities (Northern Ireland) Act 2008
2. The main functions of CCNI are to keep a public register of charities; encourage, facilitate and monitor compliance with charity law; determine charity status; identify and investigate misconduct in charity administration and take remedial or protective action as necessary
3. The Review will take place in August and September 2016 and cost no more than £6,000
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5. Media enquiries to DfC Press Office on 028 9082 9267 or email press.office@communities-ni.gov.uk.  Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.

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