The statutory body was established in August 2016 to hear and adjudicate on appeals against certain decisions of the Charities Regulator, under section 45 of the Charities Act 2009.

The tribunal, chaired by Mayo solicitor Pat O’Connor, sat for the first time last week to hear an application to appeal against the regulator’s decision not to agree to uphold an application to cancel the registration of an existing registered charity.

After considering the application, Mr O’Connor and board members Bill Holohan, Deirdre Kiely, Karen Smyth and Carol Fawsitt decided they did not have jurisdiction to receive the application, and in any event, the application was late.