Nine new charities were registered in Waterford last year, as the Charities Regulator reports a significant increase in concerns raised about charities across Ireland.

Nine new charities were registered in Waterford during 2025, bringing the total number of registered charities in the county to 279.

The figures are contained in the Charities Regulator’s Annual Report for 2025, which also reveals a 38 percent increase in concerns raised about charities nationwide.

2025 Year in Review
2025 Year in Review

A total of 681 concerns were brought to the Regulator last year, up from 493 in 2024. Governance issues remained the most common concern, accounting for almost 40 percent of all reports.

The Regulator says these concerns included cases where individuals in senior positions such as CEOs, founders or chairpersons exercised excessive control over a charity, trustees were denied access to financial information, or boards failed to adequately oversee how charities were being run.

Concerns relating to organisations presenting themselves as charities without being registered made up 24 percent of reports, while financial control and transparency accounted for a further 22 percent.

During 2025, the Charities Regulator engaged with charities and trustees across the country through more than 30 events and meetings, including discussions with trustees of volunteer-led and small charities in Waterford, supported by local Volunteer Centres.

Chief Executive of the Charities Regulator, Madeleine Delaney, said the overall increase in concerns is not necessarily an indication of wrongdoing, but the continued pattern of governance issues remains a concern.

She said some trustees are ‘not fully in control of their charities or are unsure about how to manage them effectively and make good decisions in the best interests of the organisation.’

At the end of 2025, there were 11,466 registered charities across Ireland following the registration of 212 new organisations during the year. Meanwhile, 170 charities were removed from the register, including 20 that failed to submit their annual reports.