Ms Deirdre Mortell:

What would I do if I were Minister? The forum on philanthropy has produced a wide set of recommendations. I have not elaborated on all of them today, as it would take too long. However, a number of them concern cultural change. The social innovation brand is about the simple problem that there is not enough growth capital in the country. That probably has the most direct effect on social entrepreneurship. There are a number of proposals that affect the social and voluntary sector as a whole in regard to tax-effective giving. Some specific sectors and some broader ones are being debated by the finance committee. Examining and supporting them are important. It is challenging to try to get tax incentives through the finance committee and the Department of Finance, but they could have a very real impact on supporting social entrepreneurs and the wider voluntary sector. I encourage Senators to consider this.

The forum on philanthropy will launch a national giving campaign later this year. It will be about encouraging everybody in the country to give a little more in accordance with their means. It will appeal to all of Ireland, including the corporate sector and individuals. One does not have to be rich or poor; one can just give according to one's means. It is a case of putting a bit of oomph behind the fact that we all need to give. Perhaps we should think about giving in a more planned and structured way. We are brilliant at putting the money in the pot – we are the best in the world at it – but only approximately 15% of Irish people think about planning their giving. If we decided to give €5 per month to our favourite organisation instead of putting a tenner in the pot, it could be transformative for organisations in that they could plan what they were trying to achieve. If the Seanad chose to take an interest in the giving campaign, it would be fantastic. Those are the three points I would mention.