The Charities Regulator was left with “no other option” other than removing four bodies from its register for lack of compliance, a spokesman has said.

The four charities recently removed from the Register for failing to file an annual report were:

• Iomlan (RCN 20071622),
• Greendale Community School (RCN 20015015),
• Athlone Mental Health Association (RCN 20015343), and
• St Peters Parents and Friends Association (RCN 20014285). 

The Charities Regulator takes a proportionate approach where charities are in breach of the requirements of the Charities Act 2009, he said.

However, the four organisations had never filed an annual report, since the Regulator was established in 2014.

Fail to ever file report

The Regulator seeks to work with charities to bring them into compliance, though some still fail to ever file an annual report despite repeated communication.

The Charities Regulator has also initiated a targeted programme to increase compliance with annual reporting obligations. It has issued a number of warnings directly to charities and trustees for failing to comply with reporting requirements.

In response, many of these charities filed their annual returns and no further action was taken.

However, further action was required in relation to a number of charities who, despite the engagement, failed to file their annual returns.

“This is not something the Regulator does lightly,” the spokesman said.