Concerns raised about charities increase by 38 percent

The number of concerns raised with the Charities Regulator increased by 38 percent during 2025, according to its latest annual report.

A total of 681 concerns were received, compared with 493 during the previous year. However, more than 80 related to issues outside the regulator’s remit.

Governance standards remained the most frequently reported issue, accounting for almost 40 percent of all concerns.

Reported problems included chief executives, founders or chairpersons exercising excessive control; trustees being denied access to financial information; and boards failing to oversee their organisations adequately.

Charities Regulator Chief Executive Madeleine Delaney said the overall increase was not causing undue concern, as reports do not always constitute complaints or allegations of wrongdoing.

However, she said the continued pattern of governance-related issues suggested that some trustees were not fully in control of their charities or remained uncertain about their legal responsibilities.

Six new charities were registered in County Wexford during 2025, bringing the county’s total to 309.

Nationally, 212 new organisations joined the register, while 170 were deregistered. Ireland had 11,466 registered charities at the end of the year.

The regulator opened statutory investigations into four charities and imposed sanctions on a fifth during 2025. Twenty organisations were removed from the register for failing to file annual reports, while two others were prosecuted.

Members of the public can check the registration and reporting history of an organisation through checkacharity.ie.