Format

This session was recorded on 4 September 2025.  

Who should attend

This course is a must attend for all accountants and auditors with Irish Charity clients, as well as for accountants working directly in this sector and Charity Trustees.

Course overview

We will cover the following during this webinar:

• The current key Accounting and Auditing issues in the Charities sector in the Republic of Ireland;
• Current Charity Annual Reporting requirements and future changes coming from 2024 Irish legislation in this area;
• The evolution and current requirements of the Charities SORP (FRS 102), what is likely to change with the review of the Charities SORP that is nearing completion, as well as how it now should be implemented by Irish charities who will be adopting it for annual reporting for the first time due to recent legislatory changes;
• The best practice for the audit of Charities; with a particular focus on the increased fraud risks and other challenges/risks facing the sector over recent years;
• Typical areas for improvement in the audit of Irish Charities, as identified by both the Institute Professional Standards and Practice Consulting teams;
• Thomas Mulholland, Head of Compliance and Enforcement at the Charities Regulator will join us to provide an overview of the work of the Regulator, how best to report issues of concern to the Regulator, as well as likely upcoming regulatory changes in this area;
• Conor Woods of Woods & Partners will discuss the practical implications of implementing the Charities SORP and working with clients in this sector; and
• From audit planning, to your fieldwork and the completion of the audit, learn how the Institute Charities PQA can help you ensure that your work in this area meets the highest standards.

Key Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Have an improved awareness of the Legislative and Auditing issues in the Charities sector in the Republic of Ireland;
• Better undertake the audit of charities and address the unique risks faced by this sector; and
• Understand the recent changes in Irish charity legislation and regulation, particularly with regard to annual reporting and the use of the updated Charities SORP.

Speaker Bios

Conal Kennedy FCA - Conal is Head of Practice Consulting in Chartered Accountants Ireland. He and his team provide advice and support to practices throughout Ireland, and publish a range of practice toolkits covering audit, accounting and compliance. Over an 18 year period in Practice Consulting, Conal has coached and advised many practices through major change events such as mergers, acquisitions and retirements. He has also advised on practice development and marketing.

Jeremy Twomey FCA - Jeremy in his role as Practice Consulting Manager works to support our member practitioners across our service areas, with a particular focus on compliance support, training and our associated advisory services. Jeremy is a Fellow of the Institute, having trained with Ernst & Young; he has held senior management positions across both financial and professional services, as well as the public sector.

Conor Woods FCA - Conor is Founding Partner of Woods and Partners Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors. With a team of 4 Partners and over 45 staff in offices in Meath, Cavan and Dublin, the firm specialises in Audit, Tax and Advisory, and has a niche specialism in the provision of Accounting and Auditing Services to the Charity Sector.
Conor was appointed the inaugural Chairman of the Charities Regulatory Authority in 2014, a position he held for 2 years. Conor works with many charities, as auditor, advisor, reporting accountant, and special investigator. Conor has held the position of Chairperson of Chartered Accountants Ireland Charity & NFP Group, and has also served as a member of Chartered Accountants Ireland Strategy Board from 2015 to 2020. 

Contact us

If you have any questions regarding this or any other CPD course or requirements, please feel free to contact the team here or call us at (+353) 01 523 3930

Note for Legacy CPA Members

Members who joined Chartered Accountants Ireland following1 September 2024, please continue to book on the CPA Portal here to ensure you receive your member discount.