The Charities Regulator has appointed inspectors “to investigate the affairs” of Scouting Ireland and a number of other organisations related to the youth body.
The regulator, which has been engaging with Scouting Ireland since 2023 following concerns raised with it regarding “governance matters”, said that the purpose of the statutory investigation is “to establish the facts relating to the control and ownership of charitable assets” and to “clarify” the relationship between Scouting Ireland and the related organisations.
The related bodies in question are Scouting Ireland CSI and Scouting Ireland SAI (formerly the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland and Scout Association of Ireland respectively, two organisations that merged to form Scouting Ireland in 2004), Scouting Ireland Unincorporated Association (an organisation that came into being in 2004), and trust charities The Scout Foundation, The Scouting Association of Ireland Trust Corporation and Scouting Trust Property.
In an email sent to its members on Tuesday the board of Scouting Ireland said that the investigators’ aim will be “to establish the facts surrounding the status” of Scouting Ireland CSI, Scouting Ireland SAI and Scouting Ireland Unincorporated Association.
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The board also said that the Charities Regulator is seeking to establish “the beneficial and legal ownership” of properties “owned and occupied” by various scouting organisations in Ireland, and to establish who controls the bank accounts “held for the benefit of various Scout Provinces and Scout Groups”.
The inspectors will also seek to “ascertain the facts underlying the delay in preparing financial statements for two consecutive financial periods”, the board said.
Recent years have seen the youth organisation face a number of governance and safeguarding controversies which culminated in revelations of a major historical child sexual abuse scandal.
A report published in 2020, carried out by child protection consultant Ian Elliot, found that abuse was covered up within the youth organisation.
Fresh divisions emerged in 2023 when two then-board directors, Donnchadha Reynolds and Jacques Kinane, made allegations of child-protection shortcomings within the organisation.
In a public notice issued on Wednesday the Charities Regulator said that it has been engaging with Scouting Ireland since 2023 “arising from concerns that were raised with the regulator regarding governance matters”.
“It has sought to clarify the relationship between the various organisations listed and confirm the control and ownership of charitable assets. Following engagement with the charity and the related organisations the Charities Regulator has decided to use its powers to undertake a statutory investigation to clarify matters,” the notice reads.
The regulator will prepare a report on the findings of the investigation.
In response to queries regarding the investigation, Scouting Ireland said it was a “welcome opportunity to bring clarity to the legal structures relating to scouting in Ireland”.
“The Charities Regulator is best placed to advise as to their reasons for this inspection, however the focus of the inspectors’ work as outlined by the CRA (Charities Regulatory Authority) relates primarily to the relationship between Scouting Ireland CLG and various legal entities within scouting,” a spokeswoman said. “We have been liaising with the regulator over the last number of months and we look forward to continuing that engagement and co-operating fully with its inspectors.”
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