The Taoiseach has compared the issues in the charity sector to finding carpets infested with maggots.

Enda Kenny says the country will come through the current issues around charities and how they spend funds with a system the public can have confidence in.

His comments in the Dáil come in the wake of revelations that Rehab had made less than €10,000 profit from €4 million in sales of lottery scratch cards.

Mr. Kenny says the government - through a new regulator - will ensure the public can have confidence in charities.

The Taoiseach said earlier he was surprised by the Rehab figure.

It was released by the Justice Minister Alan Shatter last night as he defended his decision to end the charitable lotteries scheme.

Rehab has slammed the comments from Mr. Shatter, saying it cannot respond in detail as matters are before the courts.

However a spokesperson has demanded the Minister withdraw his remarks and apologise.

Enda Kenny said he believes that a Charities Regulator will help ensure public confidence. And he says every charity needs to explain themselves at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

"All of them will be called before the PAC, and all of the details insofar as public support and public monies are concerned will be dealt with" he said.

"They must all be treated in the same fashion; fully transparent, fully accountable, fully answerable to the public where public monies are involved - and where public monies are not involved, that's it's all laid out there so that the public who donate know that their monies are going for what was intended" he added.

Minister Pat Rabbitte told The Pat Kenny Show here on newstalk he would be very surprised if the Justice Minister had put inaccurate information into the public domain.

The Justice Minister says charities need to show their fundraising operations are efficient and successful. 

Alan Shatter revealed in the Dáil last night that the Rehab scratch card sales were not delivering.

A government Minister is meanwhile calling for the Chief Executive of Rehab to disclose her salary.

The charity sector is coming under increasing pressure over transparency in the wake of the CRC controversy and Rehab Chief Executive Angela Kerins has so far refused to reveal how much she earns in the post.

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton told Newstalk Breakfast that openness in the sector is very important: