Helen Martin, Chief Executive, Charities Regulator, will not seek re-appointment when her term of office expires on 2 April 2024. While Ms Martin’s replacement is being recruited, Madeleine Delaney, Director of Legal Affairs and Registration has been appointed interim Chief Executive by the board of the Charities Regulator, effective from 3 April 2024.

The Board commented: “Helen has made a significant contribution to increasing public trust and confidence in Ireland’s charity sector.  The Charities Regulator and charity regulation were still in their infancy when Helen was appointed.  Over the past five years, they have benefitted enormously from her extensive experience in regulation, her guidance of the Charities Regulator’s strategic direction and her exemplary leadership of the organisation.  We thank Helen for her contribution and wish her continued success in her career.”

Helen Martin stated: “I am grateful to the present and past members of the board of the Charities Regulator, in particular Mr Patrick Hopkins who served as Chairperson for nine years, and my colleagues for their steadfast support throughout my time with the Charities Regulator. It has been a real privilege to work with such dedicated staff during my tenure and I have no doubt that the organisation will continue to thrive and deliver for the public.   I would also like to thank the thousands of volunteers who take on the additional responsibilities of charity trustees, and the wider charity sector, for their commitment to enhancing the standards of governance in Ireland charities. Ireland’s charity sector is integral to the social, cultural and economic fabric of our society. I am delighted to have contributed towards the Charities Regulator’s vision of a sector that is vibrant and trusted, and valued for the public benefit it provides.”

Prior to her appointment as Chief Executive in April 2019, Helen had been interim Chief Executive from November 2018.  She joined the organisation as Director of Regulation in 2017 having previously held the role of Assistant Parliamentary Counsel at the Office of the Attorney General. Prior to joining the Office of the Attorney General, Helen worked in the private sector for over a decade where she held senior legal and regulatory positions in the telecoms sector and in private practice.