Mr. Christy McCann:

I welcome the intriguing and interesting questions because it shows that there is engagement. Sometimes we cannot see the wood from the trees and sometimes think scouting is only what is important, whereas it is about the young people whom we are there to serve. It is our great intention to increase the percentage of young people involved in scouting, but that has a knock-on effect and, in some cases, presents tremendous challenges. There was a question about the number of scout halls. As Mr. Lawlor alluded to, half of our groups have their own premises. Anyone connected to a group with its own premises would probably only then value having a safe haven where young children could meet and parents would not have to worry that they were out and about or in danger. They are under the right supervision with their friends and have a place in which to meet to talk about, for example, mental health or LGBT issues. They can meet in small groups and talk among their peers. That is a core foundation for the success of scout groups around the country. Unfortunately, we do not enjoy that luxury in every town, but we have the goodwill of the GAA and various schools and organisations that share premises. However, it is never the same as it is like sharing a house with somebody else. One cannot leave one's pictures on the wall or log one's photographs and one does not have a sense of belonging.

These are the challenges and while it would be great to have a scouting group in every town and be able to answer that need and because we do not like to refuse a scouting place to any young person, before we launch a scout group, we have to make sure it is sustainable and that there is a future and a lifeline, whether it be funding or support. Not everything we do is created through funding; much of it is done through partnerships with the likes of Pieta House. They allow us to tap into resources such that our programme becomes relevant and meaningful. Whether we have scout dens, we have partnerships in local communities and scouting will survive. It takes support nationally and locally, which is why we are so successful with the number of groups we have. However, we know that our reach could be much greater, but then we are very much dependent on adult volunteers. We have 12,000 adult volunteers doing scout work - I keep being told that is greater than the number in the Army or the Garda - but they are under time pressures and trying to maintain their own families. They also have to cope with all of the other pressures in life. What generally keeps many of them engaged is the fact that they can bring their own children into the organisation when they are involved. It is part of growing up and becoming a family-oriented activity.

Reference was made to the Moot. In Ireland we are good at acknowledging that it is a global movement and the best way to show this is by bringing the world to Ireland in order that people can see various cultures. Diversity and inclusion are at the core of our programmes. When we create an event, not only are we selling Ireland as a country but we are also selling the culture and mixes and matches that go within it. That is why we encourage biting off more than we can chew, but we recognise the greater long-term benefits. When the Moot is over and the memories are still there, we will have a legacy from it in so far as the national campsites will have been enriched, local communities will be more aware of what scouting is about and premises will become available. Without knocking on the door of NAMA and similar bodies, there are tonnes of premises lying idle in communities and perhaps with the will and support of public representatives, doors might be opened. We are good at the scouting part but not good at the begging part. That is why we do not ask for enough money and help, but this is our opportunity to ask public representatives to open the door and point us in the right direction. The goodwill, as witnessed here, is also witnessed within the community, but scouting is perhaps the best kept secret. Much of the good scouting happens on the hills or in forests. It is now time for us, in using opportunities such as this, to shout from the rafters that we are working with young people and that it is not so much about scouting. We welcome the opportunity to do so.