An Óige (Irish Youth Hostel Association) formed as an association in 1931 and was established to:
(a) help all, but especially young people, to a love and appreciation of the countryside, particularly by providing simple hostel accommodation for them on their travels and by promoting and providing a range of outdoor and physical education activities for them.
(b) foster an appreciation of the Irish cultural, environmental, natural and historic heritage.
An Óige is a charity registered with the Charity Regulatory Authority (Registered Charity No.: 20018252) and became a Company Limited by Guarantee not having a share capital in 2014 (Company Registration Office No.: 9027). An Óige is also registered for charitable tax exemption status with the Revenue Commissioners (Charity No: CHY 7877).
An Óige is also a member of Hostelling International, a federation of independent national member associations which provides access to a network of over 2,500 hostels across the globe.
As a registered charity the organisation is committed to effective, accountable and transparent governance. We are guided by and adhere to the principles of the Charities Governance Code namely:
• Advancing our charitable purpose
• Behaving with integrity
• Leading people
• Exercising control
• Working effectively
• Being accountable
Key aspects of An Óige’s governance framework are as follows:
Board of Directors
- The Board is made up of a maximum of 11 Directors, 4 of which are “elected” by the membership with the remainder co-opted as necessitates.
- Each “elected” director serves for a 4-year term and may be eligible for re-election one year after expiry of the previous term.
- The Board meets at least 8 times per year with an AGM held within 9 months of the end of the financial year.
- The Board directs An Óige based on a shared vision, mission and values, ensuring that it fulfils its financial and legal responsibilities. Along with the CEO, it decides on the policy of the organisation and the strategic direction it will take.
- Board members are volunteers and are not remunerated for their work.
- The Board is composed of individuals with diverse backgrounds and expertise.
Charities Governance Code
An Óige is continuing to work towards achieving full compliance with the Charities Governance Code.
Child Safeguarding
An Óige operates in full compliance with the Children First Act 2015 and Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, reviewing its Child Safeguarding Statement regularly.
General Code of Conduct
Board members and staff adhere to a code of conduct that prioritizes the value, rights, needs, and aspirations of young people and volunteers.
The Board of Directors is committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance and is taking on-going actions to ensure the organisation is compliant with the requirements of The Charities Governance Code. The Board is committed to annually review compliance with the principles of the Governance Code.
CRO Compliance
An Óige adheres to the regulations and requirements set by the Companies Registration Office (CRO) with submission of annual financial returns in line with the Companies Act 2014.
From Financial year 2025 onwards, the annual statutory financial statements will be audited following the Charity SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) requirements. This is a set of accounting and reporting guidelines that provides best practice for preparing charity accounts and recommended by the Charity Regulator.
